Operation: Cadence
by AleahLondon1987
Summary: A sinister figure has begun kidnapping aspiring musical artists and then leaving them for dead, leaving those affected completely baffled. When nothing seems to be adding up, it will be up to a key acquaintance to help Officers Hopps and Wilde crack the case, and expose more than the two had ever bargained for. JudyXNick, OC's
1. Chapter 1

****UPDATED CHAPTER****

 **OPERATION: CADENCE**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 **So many of you encouraged me to continue writing, which I thank you all for the kind words. As for my one-shot Blueberry Soap, I was toying around with the ways of looking at and editing the story and (accidentally) deleted it. I apologize for the inconvenience and I have re-uploaded it, so please go check it out (again)!**

 **And again, I do not own any of these characters. All rights reserved to Disney.**

 **Anyways, here is my full story that you all nudged me to do. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it, and happy reading!**

 **Deepest thanks in advance,**

 **AleahLondon1987**

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The sunshine peeked its way through the small crevices in between the leaves, casting a spotted-like appearance upon the dirt path that wove its way through the forest. A small breeze was whistling through as well, coupled with the melodious sound of laughter.

Below the green canopy sat a young fox couple, dressed in neat, classy outfits. They were holding paws and watching as their young kits played on the small playground nearby.

It was very obviously a boy and girl, seeing as one adorned a nicely knit pale-green sweater vest and khaki shorts, whereas the other wore a pink short-sleeved sweater and a white pleated skirt. A sparkling pink bow was pinned to the little girl's enormous ears, which took up the majority of the top of her head, as they did on the boy as well. As the siblings started rough-housing, the boy took a step forward and shoved his sister to the ground, causing her to skid across the dirt a few inches.

"Not funny, Nicky!" whined the girl to her brother, who stood hunched over in exaggerated laughter. The male fox caught sight of this, and cocked a brow in agitation.

"Nicholas Preston Wilde! You apologize to your sister this moment!" The twenty five year old vulpes-vulpes snapped at his son. The young kit's ears dropped instantly, looking back at his parents in embarrassment.

"Oh come now, Fred, I'm sure Nick did not mean it!" argued the female fox, taking a hold of her husband's paw again. He jerked his paw away slightly.

"No, Jane. I will not have our children being rough with each other like this." Fred snapped, and Jane retracted her extended arm, neatly folding it back into her lap, her expression looking over with a furrowed brow. Looking back to his kin, Fred realized that his son had not moved an inch.

"NOW." He emphasized, and Nick yelped, running the short distance over to his sister and bashfully putting his hands behind his back. After an awkward pause, the young kit began to draw circles in the dirt with his foot, trying to keep his gaze away from the little sniffling kit.

"Sorry I pushed you, Lu….and made you fall….." Nick mumbled sarcastically through his teeth. Even as a kit, Nick had been a troublemaker. Though deep down he loved his sister, he always felt she was a pain. Those two minutes between their births had not been enough time for Nick to prepare for the bright, bubbly, and quite annoying kit that was Lucille Daphne Wilde. Meanwhile, Lucy had since gotten up and brushed herself off, huffed and crossed her short little arms.

"You should be!" She said matter-of-factly.

Nick took note of this and added on, "…..but that doesn't mean you're not a stinkbrain." He said, a mischievous glint to his eye.

"DA-" The little girl started to cry, but Nick quickly covered her muzzle.

"Okay fine! Tell you what. You don't yell for Dad, and I'll show you my secret spot." Nick said, hoping his sibling would take the bait. The little kit gasped, squealing. Nick again tried to calm her down as to not attract the attention of their parents.

"Shhhhh!" He took a hold of her paw, glancing over at his parents. Luckily for him, a passerby who recognized them was chatting away, causing both his mom and pop to have their backs turned to them. He looked back at his sister.

"Okay, let's go." He whispered, pulling her along as they slinked into the forest nearby, wanting to get there as fast as possible before their parents noticed they were away.

Nick wove through and under every branch that came across their path, all the while his identical twin behind him giggling and singing away, happy to finally be seeing her brother's forbidden "secret spot". She had begged and begged him since the moment they started going to the particular park to show her the spot he had found but he had refused, wanting to keep it a secret for himself. A few minutes later, they reached a clearing, and Nick stopped.

"Here we are." He said, and he heard Lucy gasp behind him. He felt her let go of his paw, and watched her step forward to admire the view a bit better.

The clearing ended abruptly at a small buff that cascaded down into a river about ten feet below, the bubbling clear waters rushing past at breakneck speed. The water was particularly high for that day, since it had been the first sunny day in a week of down-pouring rain. To celebrate the nice day, the Wilde parents had decided to take the kits outside, since they had been extremely bored being cooped up in the house all of the time.

"It's so pretty, Nicky!" Lucy exclaimed, skipping a few steps and throwing her arms out wide. Then, crouching over, she looked down below to the river, watching it bubble and swirl about as it ran past her.

Nick watched his sister intently, not wanting to say anything just yet about the fact that they were technically trespassing on private ground. Off in the woods, he heard a rustling. His ears perking up and tilting behind him, he swung about, scared that his parents had followed him. Or worse, the owner of the land had seen them gallivanting through the trees and was after them.

In her stupor at watching the river, the little girl saw a small flower growing on a ledge just a few feet below, its bright pink color catching her eye. She ogled, laying down on her stomach and starting to reach for the flower, but the plant proved to be just out of her reach. In a grunt of frustration, she stretched as far as she could, an inch shy away from being able to grab it. Shifting her weight down to her hips, she reached for it once more, but the softened ground had had enough.

In a split second, Lucy tumbled over the edge, falling straight into the river before Nick even realized she had fallen. At the sound of her scream, he whirled around again. His eyes grew wide, and he scrambled to the edge, shooting his gaze downward. His sister splashed in the water, her head barely bobbing above the surface as the river began to sweep her away.

"LUCY!" He screamed, his ears pinned against his head and his paw outstretched as if he could reach her.

"NICKY!" She screamed every chance she got, her small paws flailing about to keep her small body above water. Nick sprinted after her, dodging every branch and leaping every root of a tree to keep up with her.

"I'M COMING FOR YOU LUCY!" He screamed at her, going as fast as his little legs could carry him. Being only five years of age, both of their voices were very shrill and could be heard over the semi-loud rush of the river.

"NICKYYYYYY!" Lucy continued to scream, her voice becoming more and more distant as the powerful river took her further and further away.

Nick was so engrossed in keeping his sister in sight that he failed to jump a particular high-protruding root, and with a smack to his foot he bit the dirt, giving a pained grunt. He quickly whipped his head up from the ground, looking around wildly down the entire stretch of river in front of him, but his sister's tiny silhouette was no longer in sight.

"LUCY!" He screamed louder than ever, his voice carrying through the entire forest and into the air in heavy desperation and sadness.

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"Look miss, I told ya once and I'll tell you again. We don't serve sherry here. You're gonna have to go to Louie's Pub across the block."

The bartender, a tall and lanky antelope, wearily explained to an agitated young puma, who's sparkling ebony evening dress shook ever so much as she tapped her foot in agitation. Her gold hoop earrings swished side to side in rhythm. She was shaking her head at the apparent ill-service she was receiving, and thought about threatening to do just what the bartender had suggested. The place was Margeaux's Grill and Bar, a popular hangout in the very heart of Zootopia, the gleaming city for anthropomorphic mammals.

"Well mister, I'll-" Her retort was cut off by the bellowing applause, whistles, and whoops from within the dining room.

Inside, a young ocelot appeared, glancing nervously about the room filled to brim with mammals of all kinds, predator and prey. The weekly Open-Mic night was a hot event for most mammals who couldn't afford to go to the theater or a concert, and almost every week it was a packed house. The particularly busy night had become even more popular due to the truthful rumors that the food was good and reasonably priced. Dinner and a show, in retrospect.

The ocelot tugged at the collar of her frilled, sea-foam green top, smoothing out the rump of her black slacks as she took a seat at the grand piano set at the edge of the small wooden stage. Gulping down the lump in her throat, she took one last look backstage, where two otters in matching uniforms gave her a thumbs up and a smile. She took a breath.

Her tiny paws pounded out the first notes of her musical selection, the sound filling the packed room with a melodious and beautiful rendition of pop-star Gazelle's famous ballad "Tonight We Live."

 _By night I have been dreaming_

 _Of a day worth living for_

 _Then that day became real_

 _The moment you walked through the door_

The ocelot's beautiful vibrato made a few wolf whistles belt her way, and she soon eased into the song, even giving an ear-splitting grin as she closed her eyes to sing the second part.

 _As Darcy once proclaimed_

 _In vain, I have struggled_

 _It will never do_

 _You must allow me to tell you_

 _How much I love you_

A tiger whooped at her from the back, causing her to blush.

Her paws glided a few keys across, changing the pitch of the song ever so slightly. Her heart racing, she took in a breath to prepare for the chorus, a time at which she had been preparing for for hours on end in her studio.

 _I-_

The room went pitch black. A series of screams followed, the panicked stomps and scrapes of chairs flying back and mammals running around aimlessly became deafening. Smoke began to puff through the air from the machines on stage eerily, as if it was part of the performance. The bartender ran from the front bar to the doorway into the dining room, pausing to look around, although his mere prey sight did not give him much advantage in the darkened room.

"SOMEBODY PLEASE! CALL THE POLICE!" An elder sheep screeched before being run into by a particularly frantic elephant.

The bartender shot back over to the desk, picking up the small landline phone on the desk, his hoof punching the three numbers in rapidly.

Just then, the lights came back on. The smoke dissipated. Everyone instantly calmed down and looked back on stage, where a singular spotlight was alit and casting a beam on grand piano just as before. Nothing had changed.

But the ocelot was nowhere in sight.

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 **How's about a good cliffhanger to start us off? Haha!**

 **Again, thank you all so much for reading, and please tell me what you thought and your anticipation for the coming chapters. Oh and before anyone says anything, I know fully well what the full quote in Pride and Prejudice is, just chose not to use the entirety of it. ;)**

 **I genuinely love to hear your thoughts! I hope to update soon, so stay tuned!**

 **With regards,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	2. Chapter 2

The office within the ZPD was completely bustling with activity, with every officer within the department running about with coffees, donuts, and various breakfast items being crammed in their mouths.

The time was 8:30 a.m. The workday was about to begin, and the bull pen was filling up quickly.

"…..I mean, who buys a $70,000 car and puts temporary tags on it?" a feminine voice said quizzically. A small and muscular rabbit, adorned in police gear, shook her head in disbelief. Her partner, a slim fox that wore the same uniform, towered at least a foot over her. He was only partway listening to the conversation, as he was scrolling through his phone, the screen reflecting brightly off his aviators that rested on the tip of his muzzle.

"Nick are you even listening to me?" The bunny said sternly, giving a roll of her eyes. The red fox slipped his phone into his pocket, taking his sunglasses off and proceeding to hook them to the collar of his shirt. With a lazy grin, he looked down at his partner.

"Every word, Carrots." He replied. Judy rested her weight on one hip, crossing her arms.

"Oh yeah, wise guy? Then what did I sa-"

"OFFICERS HOPPS AND WILDE, TO MY OFFICE NOW." Chief Bogo said over the intercom, making everyone turn and look at the dynamic duo. Officer Clawhauser, who was passing by them on the way to the short desk.

"Oooohh you guys are totes in trouble!" He said, flicking his wrist in their direction. The fox and bunny exchanged anxious looks, following the orders and making a beeline to the Chief's office door, which was shut.

Opening the door, they found the buffalo waiting on them, his arms holding a file. He stared at them sternly.

"Wilde, shut the door." He ordered as soon as the both of them were within the room.

"But of course, sir." Wilde replied, pushing the door shut before joining Judy in the larger seat facing the desk.

"As you both should know by now, you are highly respected within this department, the respect extending from myself as well." Bogo started off, though his tone was still slightly irritated due to Nick's sarcastic remark a few moments ago. However, there was not a word from either party and he continued.

"Your skills and tactics behind every case that you have done have been impeccable. Which is why I am assigning you to this task."

With that he threw the file down onto the desk, the contents opening up for both of them to see. OPERATION: CADENCE was typed across the top in bold Times New Roman.

"Inside you will find the details of the case, which involves a series of disappearances among young aspiring artists within the city." Bogo explained. "The only specifics that we can give you at this time is that they go missing, and are always found dead within the next three days. You will find the rest that you need to know within the witness' reports. This is becoming an increasing problem, and City Hall has advised me to assign two officers to find who the perpetrator is within 72 hours before the press starts catching on. Do I make myself clear?" He ended his small briefing by giving another haughty stare to the two officers. Judy reached up, grabbing the files within her paws.

Flipping through with Nick nonchalantly looking over her shoulder, she sifted through the photographic evidence, and came across a rather gruesome photograph of the first victim, a young tigress who was found on a street corner in the middle of the night. Judy's eyes went wide with concern, and Nick slowly uncrossed his feet, leaning in to take a closer look. Judy's gaze slowly shifted back up to Bogo.

"Is…Isn't this the case that made Officer Bloomberg take the rest of the day off a few days ago?" She said nervously.

"Yes? Why should it matter? Are you saying you can't do it?" Bogo asked accusingly.

"No, no, of course not sir, I was just….if a big elephant is afraid of this case….how bad is it truly?" She said.

"Look, it's going to be dangerous. This perpetrator is none like we have ever experienced before." Bogo admitted. "We have no clue what it even _is_ , no witness has seen it."

That sent a chill down both of their spines. _No_ witness had seen it? Not even in a glimpse?

"I'm sending you to Margeaux's Grill and Bar, the site of the most recent disappearance, which was last night." Bogo said. He then leaned down to them a little, looking them both in the eyes, but this time they both could spy a bit of admiration in them.

"I'm trusting you both to come through with this. This is the toughest case we've had in a while. Don't let me and the department down." He said.

Judy felt Nick straighten up.

"We won't, sir. Officer's honor." He said indefinitely. Judy glanced at him, then gave Bogo an affirming nod in agreement with Nick's pledge.

"Good. Now get down there. We need all the witness statements we can get." Bogo said, shooing them out of his office.

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The young bunny and fox did not speak for the first few moments of their drive over to the hangout spot. Judy was busy sifting through the case file again as Nick kept both paws on the steering wheel and eyes glued to the road. There was a rustle of papers as Judy flipped back to the front, reading the description again. Without lifting her eyes from the page, she spoke.

"No description of the suspect, no leads. Every mammal that's gone missing had vanished while performing at various bars and clubs around the city." Judy stated. Nick listened intently, though this case was already seeming to be a dead end to him.

"Witnesses describe the events as the room going dark, smoke filling the air, and once the lights return the performer has vanished without a trace." She continues. Nick gives a snort, and Judy looks over at him with a hot glare.

"Is this somehow funny to you?" She snapped, narrowing her eyes. "These are innocent mammals disappearing then winding up dead!" Without so much as a look from Nick, she looked back down at the paper.

"Victim #1: Terra Reinsager. Species: Tiger. Female. 25 years old. Vanished on March 13th at approx. 8:23 p.m. Found dead on March 15th at the corner of Elm and Pine Street. Obvious signs of struggle. Cause of death: traumatic asphyxiation." Judy looked up for a moment to see Nick acknowledge her point, but his expression had not changed. She went on.

"Victim #2: Jeremy Helfen. Species: Moose. Male. 22 years old. Vanished on March 20th at approx. 7:31 p.m. Found dead March 21st in old family warehouse. Obvious signs of struggle and claw-marks to the arms. Cause of death: gunshot wound to the back." She again looked up, and seeing Nick's expression falter ever so slightly, she read again.

"Victim #3: William Dawson. Species: Timber wolf. Male. 28 years old. Vanished on March 25th at approx. 10:45 p.m. Body never recovered, but all belongings found cast into a sewage drain. No further information." She read, and Nick began to look concerned. Judy looked up at him, but since rambling off all of the victims Nick had arrived at Margeaux's, parking a few spaces down from the entrance. Nick extended a paw, pointing below the third victim's description.

"What does that say?" Nick inquired. Judy looked at it, then read:

"Victim #4: Olivia Patterson. Species: Ocelot. Female. 26 years old. Vanished March 31st. Nothing officially recovered at this time." Nick raised his paws in defeat.

"Alright Carrots, you made your point. Sorry for snorting." Nick said, his voice slightly toned sarcastically. Judy began to put the case file away when she heard Nick add another statement.

"But who said they were innocent? Maybe these mammals are being hunted down for a reason." Nick pointed out, and that silenced Judy for a moment. The fox had a point.

"And furthermore, even if they are innocent, what would be the motive? The suspect always has a motive. Always." Nick said matter-of-factly. Judy was silent, swimming around in her brain to come up with a just as witty response and point. Instead, she shut the file, throwing her back against the seat and crossing her arms, tapping her foot.

"We need answers." She said softly but sternly. Nick nodded in agreement. He opened his door, jumping out of the cruiser and proceeding over to Judy's side, opening hers as well and bowing slightly.

"After you, ma'am." Nick said in a horrible British accent. Judy giggled, hopping out of her seat and giving him a square punch in the arm.

"Don't call me ma'am! I'm not THAT old." She said. Nick shrugged.

"Just trying to lighten the mood a little Carrots. Nothing ever has to be too serious."

The partners looked around the outside of the hangout, nothing in particular catching their eye. Stepping through the doorway, a large mahogany desk sat straight ahead, where a tired antelope stood, mindlessly punching into a keyboard. The two approached.

"Hello sir? Officers Hopps and Wilde, ZPD. How are you?" Judy said, flipping open her wallet to reveal her police badge before tucking it away again. The antelope gave a weary glance upward, acknowledging their presence.

"Yeah, I know you. Though the officers here last night were a bit…..spooked." He mumbled, more to himself than to Judy and Nick.

"What can you tell us about the ocelot that went missing last night?" She asked, but the antelope didn't seem to hear her. Taking in a breath to repeat her question, the tall mammal gave a long, drawn-out sigh.

"Look, all I know is is that it was the chick's second performance and there's still smoke hanging in the very highest parts of the ceiling. Anything more than that, you're gonna have to ask Michaels in the back." He said, giving a less-than-enthusiastic nod to the door across the way. Before Judy could utter another word, Nick put a paw on her arm.

"Thank you sir, and you have a splendid day!" Nick said, his voice dripping with sarcasm while guiding Judy over to the door by the shoulders. The antelope didn't even reply, and once he was not within earshot, Nick huffed.

"Sheesh, does he get _paid_ to be that miserable? How welcoming." Nick chided. Judy shushed him as they neared the mentioned doorway, a shining gold plaque bolted across with STAGE LEFT in bold letters.

The corridor that led to the back of the stage of the joint was less than anything to really look at. Ropes hung like vines from the rafters above, with various stage props and outfits cast in every which corner and rack. At some points the duo had to physically step over objects to avoid biting the dust.

"Sweet cheese and crackers, is this hallway _ever_ cleaned up?" Judy muttered sharply, flinching at the sight of a large wolf spider gliding across his web at the corner of one of the doorframes. There were at least four doors along the way, each with a dry-erase board messily hung on the door handle. On each one was etched a name, and Judy's eyes went wide as she read the first name scratched across the board on the first door.

"Patterson. The ocelot that went missing last night." She said nervously, and Nick nodded.

"Uh-huh. But we're not here to see a Patterson." Nick reminded her, moving her along before she reveled in the thought too long.

NELSON. SMITH. The names on the next two doors meant nothing to them, but Judy still took a mental note of the names in case they were to come up again at any given time in their case. Coming to the final door, both stopped abruptly.

MICHAELS.

"This is it." muttered Nick, reaching over Judy's perked up ears and knocking firmly on the door. There was a soft shuffle from the inside, then the door unbolted. Swinging open ever so slightly, both the predator and prey squinted their eyes to see into the pitch black.

"Hello? Mister Michaels? Officers Hopps and Wilde of the ZPD. We're here to ask you a few questions." Judy said. There was no answer for a long moment. Then, as if by magic, the deadbolt snapped open, the door swinging ajar. Nick looked down to his young partner.

"Maybe they're not here." Nick whispered. Judy arched a brow at him.

"Really? Someone who isn't there, that has an automatic deadbolt loosener?" She said sarcastically. Nick shook his head.

"Carrots, something tells me that we're not going to like who or what's in there. It could be the suspect for all we know!" He whispered viciously. Ignoring his statement, Judy crept into the dark room, her ears fully extended to catch any slight shuffle of movement. Nick snuck in behind her, his paws extended to either side with his fingers curled, ready to slash anything that came near his partner and him.

"Mister Michaels, please. We know you're in here. We just want to ask you about what happened to Olivia Patterson." Judy explained reassuringly into the emptiness.

Silence deafened the air, with not so much as a peep anywhere in the room. The only thing that reassured the two mammals that the other was there was the sound of their slightly heightened breathing. Finally, after several seconds, a voice rung out, clear as day.

"If only I knew." The voice said sadly.

A light flipped on with a _click_ , and the duo's eyes hurt from such a drastic change in light. Once adjusted, they fixed their eyes on who had flipped it on.

There stood a young vixen, her paws neatly clasped together in front of her, donning a white silk robe. The lamp cast an earthly glow on her features as she studied them with light emerald orbs, her large ears twitching slightly. Her fur was a slightly lighter shade of red than Nick's, and her lean form curved in a complimentary fashion all over, her bushy tail curled around her right leg.

"Oh! Y-you're a female! My apologies…" Judy said anxiously, feeling a slight heat rise to her face in embarrassment. The vixen tilted her head slightly, then gave a soft smirk.

"It's alright, Officer. It's not the first time." She reassured her, and Judy could sense a spark of sarcasm within that remark.

Nick, having not said a word through the entire exchange, gazed at the fox in a degree of wonder. It had been quite some time since he had seen another red fox like himself, much less such a beautiful number as the one that was standing before him. She moved swiftly and elegantly, moving behind the changing screen over in the corner of the room, and to both of the officers' surprise and shock they watched the silk robe get thrown over the top edge.

"So, won't you have a seat? I hate to be a terrible host." The fox said from behind the fabric screen, and they exchanged a look.

'Embarrassed?' Nick mouthed with his usual smirk and half-lidded gaze, and Judy shushed him.

"Please excuse the mess, I haven't had any time to pick it up since last night." The vixen continued. Looking about the small dressing room, both cops realized the room _was_ a bit disheveled, but they paid it no mind. Clicking open her pen, Judy finally settled into her seat.

"It's no problem, Miss Michaels." Judy said respectfully, and watched as the young fox appeared back within their sight, adorning a comfortable flannel shirt with rolled-up sleeves, lavender in hue. She pulled up her faded boot-cut jeans by the loops, fluffing out her tail before taking a seat in her own chair, which faced Judy and Nick.

"Sorry about the unusual welcome and exchange. Trying to keep your own skin on your back is getting tough, and I _had_ to change into something for you. Now how's about we try that again?" The vixen stated before extending a paw. "Layla Michaels. Nice to meet you." Judy met her paw.

"Officer Judy Hopps, ZPD. Happy to meet you." She said. Layla gave a nod, then outstretched her paw to Nick as well.

"And you are….?" She inquired. Nick looked back and forth between her hand and her gaze, then lazily slapped his paw into hers, giving a firm shake.

"Officer Nick Wilde, ZPD." He said snidely.

"Pleasure." Layla remarked flippantly, not at all impressed with his stone-faced façade. Turning back to Judy, Layla smiled.

"What can I do for you?" She asked. Judy cleared her throat.

"Miss Michaels, what do you know about Olivia Patterson, the young ocelot who went missing last night?" Judy inquired.

"Please, call me Layla. And as far as Olivia goes? Only anything and everything. The gal's been my best bud for twelve years, not including the time we knew each other in school. We practically _speak_ in-sync." Layla explained happily, a small smile creeping up her muzzle. However, the momentary cheerful disposition of remembering her dear friend dissipated as she remembered what had brought her and the highly revered officers together. Judy noticed the change in her facial expression, and changed the subject with her next question on her standard police questioning checklist.

"What was she doing before her performance? Anything unusual?" Judy asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, just giving us all a high-five and letting us pump her up. It had taken us so long to convince her to finally perform…..this was only her second gig…" Layla's voice trailed off, a distant tone to her voice as she flashed back to last night. The inspirational words she had given the young ocelot before she went on stage, her wonderful voice filling the room, only to be replaced by screams and smoke in a mind-numbing blur. She wished she could have done more to prevent it, to keep Olivia from suffering the fate she did. Judy's paw resting on hers startled her back into reality. She looked up at Judy, giving her a look of complete and utter dismay. Judy's ears drooped, and she leaned in ever so slightly.

"Look Layla, we know how much you miss her. That's why we're here. We need as much info as you can give us so we can find her and the others who have gone missing." Judy said softly, sending a sympathetic grin her away. Layla sighed, closing her eyes.

"First Terra. Then Jeremy. Then…..then Will." Her voice choked at the mention of the third victim. "And now Olivia. It's like they want all of us dead." She said absent-mindedly.

" _Who_ wants all of you dead?" Judy inquired impatiently. Layla shook her head, rubbing her temple.

"That's the thing. I have no idea." She said, throwing her paw in the air in defeat, as if stumped by a particularly hard puzzle.

"What exactly is it that you're doing?" Judy asked.

"We're a travelling talent group. We go around to all corners of every district and entertain to folks far and wide. It's what we've been doing since we were teenagers! Why anyone would want to take us out now is beyond me." The vixen looked truly baffled. At this point Nick cleared his throat, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"Let me ask you something, foxy. Is there any chance here that there's something that you're not telling us?" He said point-blank, earning a shocked look from Judy and a slightly agitated glare from Layla.

"ExCUSE me? What is _that_ supposed to mean?" She retorted. Nick shrugged.

"I don't know, you tell me. I always enjoy a bit of the show before becoming the critic." He said. Judy huffed at this. Layla scoffed angrily, straightening her posture.

"I don't know who you think you are, Officer Wilde, but I-"

Out in the hall came a bloodcurdling scream, and all three mammals' ears pinned back in startled shock. Wasting no time, Layla shoved herself up from her seat and sprinted to the door, Judy and Nick not far behind her.

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 **That's it for now! Please tell me what you thought in the reviews and I promise to include a little bit of OTP in the next installment! As always, thanks so much for reading!**

 **Best of thanks,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	3. Chapter 3

Rounding the corner, the trio came upon a young, sleek otter, who was still trying to collect herself from what had made her scream.

"Allie, what's going on out here?" Layla asked, coming over and helping her friend the rest of the way up. The small aquatic animal trembled horribly, the floral headband she wore falling off one of her ears. She straightened out her striped hoodie, looking to Layla as she grasped her paw in hers firmly.

"Oh I'm so sorry Layla! I-I just thought I saw something over in the corner of my room and I thought….I thought he was after me!" The smaller-than-average otter squeaked before starting to cry again. Layla shushed her, hugging her close.

"Calm down, Allie. Everything's going to be okay…" She cooed. With a stern look, she looked up at the two officers again, who had ceased to say anything for the past few minutes. Sensing the hostility of the young fox, Judy raised her paws.

"Look, we don't want to start this off on a bad note. We are just trying to learn the facts." Judy reassured the vixen, though by the hardened look she was giving the duo it didn't seem to have worked.

"The facts are somebody's got Olivia and she's going to _die!_ " Allie wailed, and Layla looked down on her with great concern. She patted the otter's back, hugging her close like a child to a mother.

"Allie, I think you should go lie down….you need some rest." Layla suggested starting to guide the traumatized otter back into her room. The otter squeaked, throwing herself back against the wall.

"Wh-what if he gets me? What if he gets _you?_ What if-" Layla placed a finger over the otter's yammering lips, and shushed her softly.

"Nothing's going to happen, nobody's going anywhere. As long as we have each other, everything will be alright." Layla said firmly, guiding the otter back into her room. "Now you go back inside, make yourself some tea, and relax. I'll be there soon." Shutting the door, she turned back to Nick and Judy, resting her paws on her sides and shifting her weight to one hip with a single brow highly arched.

"Still think I'm putting on a show?" She snapped, causing Nick to cross his arms defensively. Judy raised a paw to silence him before he could say anything.

"Your friend said she was worried about Olivia….isn't she worried about the others too?" Judy inquired, quite bothered by the odd behavior.

"Allie is the youngest and newest member of our group. She's only 20." Layla explained. "She never knew Terra and Jeremy, and she had barely met Will when she joined us."

"And what about Nelson?" Judy asked.

"Nelson and Olivia started the group. Then Jeremy and Terra joined. Will was recruited by Olivia, as was I. Then I recruited Allie."

Judy nodded, jotting down the information in her clipboard. Nick continued to look back at Layla, who had busied herself straightening out her white cami she had on underneath her flannel. She was almost the exact same height as Nick, which was typical considering red foxes never outdid each other in size normally. The males were almost always a slightly darker red shade and more squarely shaped than females, but nothing too drastic in difference.

"Look, Officers, it's been a long day for me and I'm pretty sure it's been just as long a day for you as well. I really need to go comfort my friend right now and I'm sure there's other cases you need to attend to. Good night." Layla said, starting to turn away. Judy shook her head.

"No, Miss Mi-..Layla. This is the only case we have." She corrected her, and Layla stopped in her tracks. Judy continued.

"We were just assigned to it this morning, and we have 72 hours to find the victims still missing and the suspect." She rambled, and Layla looked back at them.

"72 hours?" She repeated, and Nick nodded. Layla shook her head softly.

"That's not nearly enough time." She mumbled to herself. Nick sucked in a breath, and before Judy could stop him he stepped forward.

"Well in case you didn't know, foxy, we have solved hard cases in less time than that, and we fully intend to do so with this case. Your cooperation will be most appreciated and advantageous. So how's about tomorrow, Joey's Café at 9:00 a.m. sharp?" He asked. Judy couldn't believe how abrupt he was being, but to her amazement she saw the vixen thinking about it, her gaze looking slightly downward in thought. After a few moments, she locked eyes with Nick again.

"Deal. But only because of Will and Olivia." She said firmly, before opening the door to Allie's room again, stepping inside.

"Don't be late." Nick said in a sing-song tone, and Layla looked at him with the coolest, most determined glare through the crack in the door.

"I won't be." She said with a furrowed brow, slamming the door briskly.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"I can't _believe_ you today! What was your _problem?"_ Judy chastised her canine partner as they barreled down the highway back towards the ZPD. Nick, who had since clenched his teeth and was furrowing his brow into a knot on his forehead, propped a paw against his chest.

" _ **Me?**_ That vixen was the one with the attitude problem!" Nick said accusingly.

"Nick, you know better than to make a potential witness nervous or belittled. The Academy teaches that very strictly." Judy hissed. "You could have just blown the entire case out of our reach because you think she has an 'attitude problem'. How would _you_ feel if you had just lost your friends to some unknown assailant? I bet you wouldn't feel very chipper either!"

"Well maybe next time we should try asking her the _real_ questions instead of what it says in Police Questioning 101 Volume 10!" Nick retorted, smacking the back of his paw up against the large book tucked away in between the seats, and Judy huffed, throwing her back against the seat again and crossing her arms tightly against her chest.

A heavy silence hung in the air of the police cruiser for several minutes.

Nick, frustrated with how by-the-book his partner was, didn't want to admit that she did indeed make a valid point. He did not conduct himself well with Layla Michaels, and it truly could have just cost them the case. The vixen seemed to have known every single victim thus far, making her a valuable acquaintance. Thinking about how hurt she had looked by his accusation of her not being truthful made him realize how inappropriate his statement had been. The vixen had been more than homely towards them, and he had repaid the cooperation by belittling her.

Nick gave a sideways look to her, studying how rigid and tense Judy was, her head turned to the window, watching the buildings and cars whiz by. Her ears drooped behind her head, making her eyes seem even larger than they already were.

He had admitted to himself a long time ago (in their first interaction, to be exact), that she was a very cute bunny, and liked to get under her skin because he enjoyed watching her nose twitch and her tail wiggle in frustration. This time, however, it wasn't so cute, and he finally caved.

"Look Carrots, I'm sorry…..I know I wasn't on my best behavior today and I should have just let you ask the questions…..I- I'll apologize to Miss Foxy tomorrow, but in the meantime…..can _you_ forgive me?" Nick asked.

Judy's gaze went to the floor, turning her head ever so slowly as she lifted her eyes to lock with his, the expression on her face still a little flustered. She tried to look as angry as possible, but seeing the genuine sorry state of her partner she couldn't do it for more than a few seconds.

"Okay Nick….I forgive you. But tomorrow? Let's do things the right way." Judy said, holding up a fist. Nick gave a smile and a shake of his head, meeting her fist.

"You got it, Carrot Top."

At that moment they arrived back at the ZPD, and after parking the cruiser in the garage and returning the key to Clawhauser, the two proceeded to change and exit the building.

"Whew, what a _day._ " Judy said as they both walked in the direction of her apartment. Since his own apartment was one of many being renovated, Nick was staying with Judy for a few days. The two found it quite helpful to be living together for the time being, and not at all what people assumed when two mammals lived under the same roof.

"Yeah, I think I need a massage." Nick agreed, grabbing his neck and kinking it in a sorry attempt to stretch out the sore muscles. Judy gave a small giggle.

"Well sorry to disappoint you hot shot, but I am definitely no masseuse." Judy replied, and Nick snapped his fingers in mock disappointment.

"Darn! Guess I'm gonna have to take a hot shower instead!" He said, and Judy rolled her eyes.

Upon reaching the apartment, Judy unlocked the door, tossing her bag on the bed and flopping onto the chair in the tiny living room. Nick busied himself with rummaging through the fridge in search of a snack.

"Man is _everything_ vegan in here?" He complained, and Judy looked over at him. He pulled out a tiny container of something, looking it over and shrugging one shoulder.

"Guess this tuna's gonna have to do." He said, popping open the tiny aluminum can with one poke of his claw, digging in. As he sat in the chair across from Judy and gulped down the contents of the can, Judy opened up the case file again and read the descriptions of the victims again. Nick realized what she was doing a few moments later and gave a small shake of his head.

"C'mon Carrots, give it a rest. We have the entire day tomorrow to figure it out. Let's just relax." He said, but his statement fell on deaf ears as Judy picked up a photograph of Jeremy Helfen where he was found. Nick sighed, placing the can of tuna on the table and standing up. Going into another room, he took off his civilian clothing and then went into the bathroom to turn the shower on.

The sound of the spouting water made Judy's ears twitch back ever so slightly, but she was far too engrossed in her reading to bother looking up.

Minutes passed, and Judy studied the case like it was the test of her life. There had to have been more to this story than anyone was letting on, whether it be Chief Bogo, the bartender, or even Layla. There was something that wasn't adding up, and Judy was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Hearing the door open and Nick emerge from behind her, she spoke out.

"There's something missing….what is it?" She said. Nick, wrapped only in a white towel around his waist, was rummaging through his suitcase he had packed for a pair of boxers. Looking back at his partner he realized she was still engrossed in the case.

 _That bunny is going to work herself to death._ He thought to himself, then began trying to think of a way to get her distracted. Looking down at himself, he suddenly hatched an idea, beginning to feverishly dig through his suitcase again. Once finding what he was after, he ditched the towel and slipped them on before going back into the living room, plopping down in the seat next to Judy.

"Maybe you need to let it go for a bit, come back to it in a little while?" He said innocently, and Judy looked over at him. Doing a double-take, she yipped and hopped backwards.

"What are you _doing_?" She exclaimed, looking down at his almost entirely exposed form. Nick smirked, his eyelids drooping to his half-lidded gaze.

"What, you never seen a shirtless mammal before?" He asked, gesturing to himself and shaking around a bit. Judy tried her best not to show the blush that was creeping up on her face so strongly, not wanting to fuel the fox's fire.

"I have….but you've been wearing a cotton shirt all this time!" She pointed out, and Nick kept that sly smirk on his face as he leaned in.

"I do know that, but I thought you needed a little….something to get your mind off the case, even if it was just for a few moments." He said slyly, and Judy scoffed, trying to ignore the elevation in her heart rate at ogling the handsome fox.

"Yeah, like _that_ would get my mind off of it." She replied, crossing her arms.

"So you're saying you _don't_ like my distraction?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow as he watched her shuffle in her head for the right words.

"Nick, are you _determined_ to make sure this case slips through our paws?" She snapped haughtily, ignoring the fact that he had moved even closer to her.

"Not at all, Carrot Top. I just wanted to relax and enjoy the evening before going back into it tomorrow." He said softly. This only excited and frustrated Judy even more.

"By what? Watching me get flustered?" She retorted, and Nick smirked again. Reaching up, he stroked a finger along her cheek for a moment.

"You're cute when you're flustered, Carrots." He said softly and playfully, and Judy shoved his paw away, her heart skipping a beat at him calling her cute.

"I am _not cute._ You know how I feel about that word!" She hissed, and Nick chuckled.

"Yeah, but we both know you are." He said low in his throat.

"Nicholas P. Wilde, this is _highly_ inappropriate." She said, her voice cracking at the emphasized word. Nick continued to lock eyes with her, letting the fact that she had used his full name blow right over his head.

"What is? I'm just sitting here in a pair of boxers. It's _you_ who is making this inappropriate." He said matter-of-factly with a smirk, and Judy huffed, standing up and going to stand by the window, her arms crossed again. A few more moments of silence and she heard Nick stand up again.

"Suite yourself, Carrots. Stay up all night if it will make you feel better. I'm going to bed. Good night." He said, turning the other way. Judy glanced at the clock which hung above the window. 9:30 p.m. It wasn't nearly as late as she had thought, but with the time they were scheduled to get up tomorrow, she could see it being reasonable. Looking back, she watched the very end of Nick's tail disappear around the corner. Looking over, she stared at the case file spread across the coffee table haphazardly. She groaned, slapping a paw to her face and slowly pulling it down.

What was the matter with her? Nick was only joking around and trying to get her mind off of it for a moment, and how had she repaid him? By blowing it off and pushing him away.

 _I really just need to calm down._ She thought, but her mind wandered back to what Nick had done just a few moments ago. Out of all of the distractions he could have possibly made up, he chose sitting on her couch in only his boxers? What did he think he was doing by doing that? Not that Judy truly minded in the slightest, but it was just so upfront and random.

 _Maybe he….he thought I truly would like it…._ She thought, and smiled a bit at that.

It was no secret that the vulpes-vulpes cared about her and the two were almost inseparable. They practically did everything together, including off duty. Eating out, running errands, everything. The past two years since his graduation from the police academy had been the best times of Judy's life, and she couldn't help but feel their bond was one of the strongest in Zootopia's.

Only for several months had her feelings toward the cool and collected fox become more intricately morphed into something far stronger than friendship, though she had always kept the notion buried deep in the conscience of her mind. Predator and prey, together romantically? She could practically hear her father's heart attack from here at the thought of introducing Nick as her significant other. Not to mention the gasps and clicks of tongues from the general public. Sure, interspecies relationships happened all of the time, but never between a predator and prey. It just wasn't ever heard of, and the thought of them being the first in that particular way both terrified and thrilled Judy.

Looking over at the doorway that lead to her bedroom, she gave another sigh.

 _I can't end the evening with him like this._ She thought, and walking over to close the file, she proceeded to the other room. Upon entering, she caught sight of Nick, his back turned to her as he lay underneath her favorite blanket, sewn by her mother. She looked at the ground for a split second in embarrassment, then walked a few steps forward before stopping.

"Nick?" She said softly. There was no reply, but she continued.

"Can I talk to you?" She asked, her voice a little shaky. Again, no movement or sound from the fox acknowledging her question, and again she took a few steps forward.

"I'm sorry for what I said back there….and how I acted…..I just want to solve this case before anything else happens….but it's not going anywhere. Maybe you're right. This case is crazy." She explained in a hushed tone. There was a twitch of Nick's right ear above the blanket hem, and with a small shuffle of movement Nick sat up, using an arm to prop himself up as he looked over at the bunny, his face full of concern.

"Do you know who you are, Carrots?" He asked softly. Judy, slightly taken aback by the question, blinked rapidly. Of course she knew who she was. Before she could answer, Nick did it for her.

"You're Lt. Judy Hopps! The first ever rabbit officer and best officer of the ZPD! Everyone at the academy aspired to be you when I was there…including me." He explained excitedly, except the last part, where his tone softened a bit in admiration. Judy's ears shot up attentively, a slight heat rising to her cheeks. She finished the rest of the walk towards the bed, then softly sat on the edge of the bed. Nick watched her, then leaned down slightly to meet her gaze, which was staring at the floor. She locked eyes with him again.

"And you're gonna let a missing mammals case get you down?" He said inquisitively, and Judy just continued to stare at him. Nick rested a paw on hers.

" _I_ think you're way better than that. Don't let it get to you." He said, his voice firm and certain. Judy gave a small smile at that, but it slightly wavered when she thought of Layla and how concerned she had looked.

"I just don't want to let Layla down….all of her friends are practically gone and she's relying on us to solve it." She said, and Nick shook his head.

"That vixen knows we can do it, and you should too. Something tells me tomorrow will be a new day, and you can bet she will mosey her pretty little self into that café tomorrow and tell us all that we need to know. She has no choice." Nick said encouragingly. Judy nodded before twiddling her thumbs. Nick opened up the covers.

"Now. How's about you take off your Kevlar vest and get to bed. You need it." He said. Judy began to blush again. This was the first time Nick had offered to sleep in the same bed, since she usually took the couch. Removing her chest plate and belt, Judy stood up to leave.

"Nick, I think I'll just sleep on the couch…" She said, but Nick gently grasped her wrist.

"No, no, no, you've been a perfectly good host this entire week, you deserve a night in your own bed." He said, pulling Judy down into him. The moment her fur brushed against his, a tingle shot through her entire body, and her heart picked up speed again. The warm musk of his natural scent sent her into a frenzy, her mind scrambled as she tried to act calm.

Without even thinking about it she snuggled closer into him, resting a cheek on his shoulder.

"Getting comfortable are we?" He asked softly, a hint of suggestive material within it. She gave a breathless chuckle, shaking her head ever so slightly. Just then her mind replayed the statement he had just said, and she lifted her head to look at him.

"Did you say Layla was pretty?" She asked, her tone slightly concerned. Nick smirked in his sleep, chuckling while cracking open one eye to look at her.

"Naïve bunny." He mumbled, before closing his eye again.

Judy shook the thought from her head, nestling back into her spot before closing her own eyes, forgetting about the case, the victims, everything. Tomorrow was a new day, and she didn't plan on wasting it in the slightest.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **There, Mayopotato, no cliffhanger this time! ;) LOL**

 **Thanks so much for reading and see ya in the next installment!**

 **Yours truly,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning the dynamic duo sat patiently in Joey's Café, a joint that wasn't far from Margeaux's and famous for its breakfast menu. The time was 8:55 a.m., and both rabbit and fox were sporting their usual uniforms, chatting it up to kill time as they waited on their third party to get there.

Griddles sizzled and hoofs clip-clopped as tall, slender waitresses glided to and from each table, their horns only barely missing the light fixtures. One of the gazelles asked Judy if they needed anything, and she replied with a gracious "No, thank you." She wanted to asked her to keep an eye out for Layla, but chose not to to keep their intentions of being there solely to themselves. Who knew what kind of mammals popped up in this place?

A small hippopotamus wailed from the table closest to the door, and his mother beckoned a waitress over. In haste, she realized that the young one had spilled his glass of 2%, and proceeded to reassure the mother that she would have no problem cleaning it up and fetching another one. The mother looked beyond embarrassed and quietly thanked her as she consoled her still-crying child.

"No use crying over spilled milk, kid." Nick mumbled, his voice heavy with sarcasm. Judy punched him in the arm, but both couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the situation. A few moments later Nick glanced at his watch, tapping it with a claw.

"8:58. Foxy's almost late." He chided.

"She'll be here. You said it yourself. She has no choice." Judy reminded him, and Nick shrugged.

Just then the door swung open, the bell clinging loudly against the metal frame. Everyone looked up for a moment, ogling at the newcomer, but soon returned to their meals. All except Judy and Nick, who despite her efforts, still could recognize their prime acquaintance, Layla Michaels. The young vixen looked around wildly for their party. She was wearing a light lavender sundress, a pair of purple-tinted sunglasses, and a large sunhat. She caught the attention of one of the waitresses, who gestured towards them. Both Judy and Nick straightened up as she approached, preparing themselves mentally for anything that was bound to pop up in conversation.

"Good morning! Sunny day out today!" Layla greeted them cheerfully as she took the seat opposite, removing her sunhat and sunglasses, placing them on the cushion beside her.

"Good morning, Layla. How are you today?" Judy asked politely.

"As good as I can be." The fox replied. As she smiled and tilted her head, the light caught onto the pair of amethyst and diamond studs in her large, triangular ears.

"Wow, you clean up nice, Foxy. I'm surprised you forgot your Preyda purse." Nick said, intending for it to be a compliment, but Layla laughed sarcastically.

"Ha ha, very funny. But yes, I _can_ clean up very nicely. Thank you." She said, her eyes doing a once-over of the male fox. Nick rolled his eyes and smirked. Why was it so easy to get under any female's skin? It quite entertained him, and Layla Michaels was no exception. However, he was reminded why they were there with a small kick under the table from Judy, and his face fell to one of neutral coolness.

"Alright, since I think we got off on the wrong paw yesterday, let's start over with the basics about you." Judy started, and with not a word from either fox she continued.

"What is your full name?" She asked.

"Layla Elizabeth Michaels." Layla replied flawlessly, her tongue rolling out her name like smooth chocolate. She loved her name ever since her mother told her to write it out on a piece of paper when she was learning to write.

"Alright. When is your birthdate?" Judy inquired.

"February 9th, 1980." She also said without falter or hesitation. For a split second, Nick felt a pang of disappointment at her confirmed birthdate. Though he couldn't quite put his paw on why.

"And what is your relation to the victims?" Judy asked.

"Friend." That word did not come easy, as Layla swallowed a lump in her throat at the thought of such a general word describing her relationships with all of the victims. It was so much more than that. She was their friend, their colleague, their shoulder-to-cry-on. She had always been the glue that kept the group of talented mammals together, and the lump appeared as she remembered that she had not entirely been doing her job lately.

"Okay. Now onto the questions that truly matter."

Shifting around in the clipboard, Judy clicked the pen open again.

"Can you give us any description of the suspect that we don't already know?" Judy asked.

"Depends. What do you know?" Layla asked.

"That's just it. Nothing. Nobody has ever seen this mammal. Even at a glimpse." Judy explained.

"Well I-" Layla's ears perked up as she remembered something. She reached into her sunhat (apparently there was a secret pocket up in the dome) and pulled out a piece of paper.

"I almost forgot! Allie told me to show this to you guys, that it might help pinpoint who's been doing this." She said.

"What is it?" Judy asked.

"She told me not to open it until you guys were present." Layla explained before carefully unfolding the wrinkled paper. Once fully opened the face of a concert flyer stared back up at them, announcing the upcoming event of the three most popular music artists in Zootopia performing together, live; Gazelle, Jerry Dubois, and Mooselina.

"She said she found it on the floor of the stage after Olivia went missing." Layla elaborated. Judy studied the flyer, Nick leaning in to stare at it as well. Judy suddenly remembered something as well, and her gaze lifted up to meet Layla's again.

"When did you say your friends started going missing?" She asked softly, her brow furrowed in thought.

"A month ago." Layla said quietly as well.

Jerry Dubois, the most recent superstar, had become famous practically overnight, and had released his first album exactly a month ago. Even now, one of the songs played over the speakers softly in the café, and something clicked.

"Wait here." Judy said, sprinting out of the building and over to the police cruiser, the flyer flapping feverishly in her small paw. Layla looked to Nick.

"….Am I missing something?" She said quizzically, and Nick chuckled, giving a slight shake of his head.

"No, not really. She's the wit of this duo. I just sort of play along and add input where needed." He said. "She always gets really excited when she thinks she's found a lead, so I wouldn't think much of it."

Layla nodded, beginning to stare out the window at the foliage surrounding the small café. Daffodils, baby's breath, and roses gave splashes of color as the bright sunlight bounced off of them. The rays radiated against Layla's fur, giving her a soft glow.

Nick studied her for a moment, how she watched the outside world so intently. She truly was the most beautiful vixen he had ever seen, her large eyes curving on her face elegantly. Her crème underbelly accentuated her neck and upper chest well, a golden locket wrapped around it with the cursive __ _ **L**_ etched into it. Nick thought of all the things he had said yesterday, and instinctively cleared his throat, straightening as Layla's gaze snapped back to him.

"Look I wanted to…apologize if I came off as a bit of a jerk yesterday." He said, his gaze looking downward for a moment in slight embarrassment. "It was unprofessional of me as an officer, and you had barely given any reason for me to treat you that way."

Layla blinked a few times, her face frozen in confusion and shock. This odious fox, who she thought had made his stance quite clear to her as of late, was now _apologizing?_ She couldn't believe it. Nonetheless, she gave a small smile.

"Apology accepted, Mr. Wilde." She said softly, laying a paw on his. Slightly taken aback by her formal address of him and her touch, Nick quickly looked out the window himself to avoid eye contact with the gentle vixen. His gaze locking on Judy furiously typing away on the cruiser's laptop, a small smile crept up his face. She was such a hard-worker, he wished he was half the cop Judy M. Hopps was.

Layla noticed his gaze, and followed it before giving a small smile herself. Her eyelids drooped ever so slightly, and she sucked in a large breath before pulling her paw away, resting them in her lap.

"You know, all of my friends meant something to me. Quite a bit. They still do." Layla said, making Nick shift his eyes back to hers. However, he did not say a word. Seeing that as encouragement, she continued.

"Terra, Jeremy, Olivia…They all meant the world to me." She said. Realizing she had left a name out, Nick tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"What about Will?" He asked. Layla smiled again, her gaze shifting downward to twiddle with the napkin on the table. It was only then that Nick noticed the tiny ring on her paw, sparkling in the flowing sunlight.

"Will was…..much more than the world to me. In fact, there is no amount of words that could describe what William Dawson has done for me…" She said gently, and suddenly the line between the dots connected in Nick's head. His eyes widened. Layla looked up at him, and seeing the epiphany spread obviously across his face her own cheeks flushed a bit, giving a breathless chuckle.

"Will and I were together for about a year, a year of absolute nostalgia." She said, her voice light and airy at the memories. "Of course everyone in the group knew it was bound to happen, and when it did they were always trying to get us to do duets and dances together. It was positively the best time I had spent with any mammal. He made me feel like a million bucks, and that I could touch the stars if I wanted to." She said, chuckling. But after a few moment, Nick watched her expression fall, and her tone went low.

"But then the fighting came. The names. The disagreements. It seemed that we didn't have anything in common…" Layla said, her eyes keeping from locking with Nick's. "It was a lie, of course, but we felt it was becoming more and more evident that being of two different species, though alike in biology, couldn't possibly make it together physically and emotionally." This time her eyes locked in a dead stare with Nick's, and he could see the shift of dozens of emotions glide across her eyes. Never had he seen such a unique and gorgeous shade of green.

"The final straw was the month before he vanished. I had seen him with another wolf, and confronted him about it, accusing him of cheating. I accused him of not wanting me all along…..that he truly wanted to be with his own kind…not someone like me….." Her tone was full of remorse, and Nick still said nothing. As much as he was a sarcastic jerk at times, he could tell she had been wanting to get this off of her chest for a while.

"The fight ended with a vicious breakup, and me storming from the room. He screamed at me to never come to him for anything anymore, and I told him I would have no problem doing so." She said. There was a long pause as she sighed, resting her cheek on her propped up paw.

"I never really did apologize to him for that night…..or told him how I truly felt." She said quietly, and with this she looked to the window. Nick followed her gaze, and realized she was looking at Judy, who was now printing out a paper from the laptop. She looked back at the male fox, this time her gaze pitiful and concerned.

"Don't make the same mistake with her." She pleaded gently. Layla's words sent a pang of something through Nick's chest. "Tell her how you feel before it's too late."

Nick opened his mouth to deny the claim of her statement, but Judy popped up next him before he could utter so much as a syllable.

"Got his address! I say we go talk to him now before we make up our minds and cuff him!" Judy said excitedly. Nick was frozen for a moment, his mind still reeling over Layla's advice just moments ago. Layla smiled at the two, then stood up, fluffing out her tail.

"Well, I do believe you both have some work to do. I will not keep you any longer." She said, extending her paw. "Good luck, Officers. Let me know what you find!"

"Oh we will! Thank you _so_ much!" Judy said, feverishly shaking her hand before starting to bounce towards the door.

"C'mon Nick! Daylight's burnin'!" She squeaked. Nick shoves his paws in his pockets, shaking his head and chuckling. He extended his paw to her.

"Well, Foxy, I do believe it is time for u-" Before he knew it he was wrapped in warmth and his breath hitched. The beautiful vixen had rejected his handshake and was now tenderly embracing him. Nick was as stiff as a board, but relaxed a little and hugged back. She needed a good hug.

Across the street, Judy looked back to see the two red foxes embracing through the window, and she gasped, her smile faltering. She blinked several times to keep her emotions from pouring out through her eyes, and she haughtily went over to the driver's side and climbed in.

Back in the café, Layla leaned in slightly to whisper in Nick's ear.

"Remember what I told you." She said softly before pulling away, and Nick gave a small nod, straightening his shirt out before walking out.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Judy's gaze was glued to the windshield, her large feet pressed firmly against the brake as they sat at a stoplight. Having since left the café, Nick's façade had fallen back into a seemingly normal, cool state. Judy looked over at him, the words she wanted to say burning in her throat. Finally they spouted forward.

"So what was that about back in the café?" She asked, her tone edging on accusation. Nick's ears pinned back against his head, though he tried his best to not show any emotion as he looked to his rabbit partner.

"Layla was just…..giving me some encouragement. That's all." Nick uttered softly. Judy's lip curled slightly in a pout.

"Y'know Nick I…..I've noticed you've been acting weird lately…..really weird. Not Nick-like at all. Ever since we met Layla you've been acting….strange….." She said, her voice shaky but sharp. Nick realized what she was implying, and began to object.

"Carrots, I-" He was cut off.

"If you and Layla have a thing, i-it's none of my business. Just keep it professional okay?" She said, and before Nick could start again, Judy continued.

"But it's okay, alright? It doesn't bother me. She's a very pretty fox." She said, but Nick knew it did bother her. He knew bunnies could get emotional, but this was a side of Judy he had rarely seen. He could see the physical pain in her big, watery violet eyes, and deep down he desperately wanted to reach up and brush them away. Judy sniffled, wiping the formulating tears away and then firmly grasping the steering wheel again.

"Get your taser ready. We won't know what to expect out of Mr. Dubois." Judy said, changing the subject completely. Nick did so, glancing at Judy ever so often. The moment to apologize had passed, and the rabbit and fox remained in silence for the rest of the drive.

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The pair was greeted by a pair of golden gates, swung open ad propped, as they arrived at the address of the pop star. Trees lined the entire drive up, sprouting the freshest green leaves and luscious red apples. Upon parking they came to the front door, which was whitewashed and carved to look like a Victorian era doorway. Judy grabbed the enormous doorknocker, which was fashioned and molded in the shape of a lioness with the handle lodged firmly in its grimacing teeth, and pounded it against the regal wood three times.

At first there was no answer, then the door creaked open ever so slightly, a slender zebra poking his head out. He looked quite displeased to be seeing the two cops, but he nonetheless spoke to them.

"May I help you?" He said snidely, his nose firmly stuck to the sky.

"Hello sir, we are Officers Hopps and Wilde of the ZPD. We're here to speak with Mr. Jerry Dubois. Is he home?" Judy rambled. The zebra gave a slight roll of his eyes, then opened the door fully.

"Follow me." He said, his words seeming to pass through his nasal cavity. Judy and Nick did indeed do as they were told.

If the outside wasn't grandeur enough, the inside surely made up for it. Everywhere hung luxurious tapestries and marble columns lined the hallways. Soft, red carpet created a walkway for every twist and turn. The officers felt like they were in a palace of a king, though if they had made the money that Jerry Dubois had made so quickly and immensely, they would have not wasted it either.

"Wait here. I shall alert Monsieur Dubois of your arrival." The zebra said, sounding even more pompous at the mention of his boss' name. Judy and Nick stood idly by, but soon heard some shouting from within the room before the door abruptly swung open.

"Let them in! Let them in!" came a distinct French accent, and the zebra turned to them again.

"Monsieur Dubois shall see you now."

Judy and Nick slowly entered the large room, marveling at the amount of regal paintings hung on the walls, and the illustrious golden curtains that hung from the ten-foot windows on either side. A large mahogany desk sat in the center of the room, accompanied by two chairs in front and a red velvet wheely chair behind. The back was turned to them, but by the slight rocking back and forth they knew someone occupied it.

"Ah, Officers, what can I do for you?" came the voice again, and the chair flipped about to reveal the mammal they had been wanting to see.

The young genet was donning a classy black suit, a black silk tie nestled nicely in the middle. His slate-gray spotted fur peeked out from under the cuffs of his sleeves and many shining rings hugged his digits on his paws. His striped tail, like that of a lemur, flicked about slightly off to the side of the chair.

"You caught me just before my rehearsal dinner at the La Sioux, so if you could make this snappy I would appreciate it." The genet said, straightening out his tie before leaning back, propping his foot up on his knee. Judy took a few steps forward.

"Mr. Dubois, we are here regarding a case of vanishing mammals who have been systematically disappearing from their performances. While we are not pointing fingers just yet, we'd like to ask a few questions." She said. The genet, his expression unchanged, gestured to the chairs in front of the desk.

"Please, sit." He invited, and they did so.

"So what do you ask of me? I know nothing of this case." Dubois stated.

"We know. We are trying to solve it before the press catches on." Judy explained, then he nodded.

"Very well."

"What were you doing the nights of March 13th,20th,25th, and 31st?" Judy asked. Dubois threw his head back and laughed. After a moment or two of laughing, the genet wiped his tears away.

"Do you not know who I am, child?" He asked. Judy was slightly agitated at him calling her a child. The small predator gave her no time to answer.

"I am Jerry Dubois! The hottest artist to ever hit the scene of Zootopia!" He exclaimed, gesturing to his many awards that sat in crystal clear cases all around the room. "I have traveled all over the world, and have inspired the hearts of millions!" He said like a salesman trying to promote his product, throwing his paws in the air.

Looking back to see Judy's hardened glare, Dubois sighed irritably.

"Alright. I see you are not one to be dazzled easily." He said. He whistled.

"Oscar! Oscar vou sotte chose!" He called, and a smaller genet appeared, scrambling up to the desk. He wore a similar black suit to Dubois, but with a bright purple tie instead. He trembled ever so slightly, and Judy felt ever so sorry for the little predator.

"Fetch me my papers for these two officers here." He said, and he nodded, scurrying away. Dubois grumbled, shaking his head and jutting a thumb back to him.

"Brothers. Such fools." He said with a chuckle before the scrawnier genet appeared again, and Dubois snatched it from him.

"That will be all." He said he said through clenched teeth, then tossed the papers across the desk.

"Here is every transaction I have made over the past two months. From hotels, to dining halls, to even liquor." Dubois explained.

Nick grabbed the paperwork, looking it over with Judy looking over his shoulder. Going to the desired dates, they found that at the times of the allotted vanishings Dubois had checked into a hotel in Saharan Square, which was well over 100 miles away from the bars and clubs in the heart of Zootopia, had dined at a frozen restaurant in Tundratown, and other various errands where he and his bodyguards couldn't have possibly been to commit the acts. Judy's face fell to one of frustration, and Nick just continued to repeatedly look at the transactions to make sure he had read them right.

"So you see my furry friends, I was too busy being a fantastic popstar to worry or even care about kidnapping such nobodies." Dubois said snidely, taking a sip from the martinis glass he had set on the desk. At this comment, Nick's eyes snapped up to his, pushing the papers to Judy as he stood up, taking a defensive stance.

"You too were once a 'nobody', Dubois. _Never_ forget that." He said, pointing a finger at the arrogant genet, whose smile fell to scowl as he too arose from his chair and placed both paws on the polished surface of the desk between them.

"I don't particularly care for your attitude, you _dog_." He said, his voice vicious and sharp with his lip curled in disgust. Nick gave a low growl from the bottom of his throat, which startled Judy. She began to reach for her taser on the back of her belt, but Dubois turned his head sharply to the right.

"James! Jacques! See to it that these two are properly escorted from my abode." He said, a sniveling grin spreading across his muzzle. The two very large elephants grabbed each officer, much to their shouts of protest and anger.

"And if you so much as breathe on Dubois property again, I will show you what it means to be a predator." Dubois shouted viciously.

 _OOF!_ The sound Judy made as she hit the dirt was less than attractive, and the two rolled onto their backs as they took a moment to collect themselves from being thrown. Afterwards, Nick got up and brushed himself off, then extended a paw to Judy.

"Need a lift?" He asked only half-sarcastically, and Judy took it willingly.

"How _dare_ he! I could cite him for police assault right now!" Judy said angrily, glaring back at the enormous mansion. "Not to mention how he insulted you! Who calls a fox a dog anymore?"

"Carrots, relax. He's not worth it." Nick said calmly, having since recovered mentally from the ordeal. Still, the way Dubois had addressed the group of aspiring artists, as _nobodies,_ still burned like hot iron in his mind. Though he and Judy had yet to see them perform, Nick was sure the two, especially Layla, was certainly not a nobody when it came to music, or being a mammal in general.

"Well I for one am convinced that this case is the hardest yet." Judy said, waving about the transaction papers Dubois had shown them. "There's no way Dubois or any of his bodyguards could have made it to downtown Zootopia four different times, kidnapped four mammals, then made it in time to perform at Tundratown."

"Well maybe-" Nick started, but was interrupted by the startling static of the police scanner in the cruiser.

"OFFICERS HOPPS AND WILDE REPORT. THIS IS OFFICER CLAWHAUSER. WE HAVE A SITUATION AT 3785 WOODOAK STREET INVOLVING A VANISHING MAMMAL. THERE IS AN INJURED MAMMAL ON SITE AS WELL." Clawhauser's urgent tone shouted over the speaker.

Nick and Judy locked gazes, both of their ears drooping as their hearts sank.

"Layla." Nick whispered, and the officers sprinted over to the cruiser. Nick flipped on the sirens and lights as they started down the driveway back onto the main road, barreling back towards Zootopia.

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 **So there you have it! So sorry about not updating for a little bit, the weekend was a little crazy for me!**

 **As always, tell me what you thought and give this story a fav/follow if you so desire!**

 **Thanks ever so much and keep your eyes peeled for the next installment!**

 **Sincerely grateful,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	5. Chapter 5

"3785….3785….3785…." Nick mumbled as they continued their pursuit towards the scene. Finally, they found themselves in front of Margeaux's again, but this time the place was littered with mammals of all shapes and sizes, probably seeing what all the commotion was about. There was an ambulance sitting outside, but it looked as if the occupants were waiting on them to arrive. The duo jumped out of the vehicle, sprinting across the street.

"Officers Wilde and Hopps of the ZPD! Make way please!" Judy yelled, and the crowd split away ever so slightly to make a path for the officers.

Once inside, Judy and Nick made their way back, jumping over and under the discarded stage equipment again to find the door to Nelson's room ajar, whereas the other doors were firmly shut. Approaching the door, they heard a soft whimpering. Busting in, they came upon Layla crouched on the floor, cradling an injured Allie. In a somewhat daze she looked up, and her eyes widened.

"Officers! I was hoping they'd send you!" She said, sounding relieved to see the two familiar faces. Judy wasted no time in stepping out of the room again and looking to the outside.

"MEDIC! WE NEED A MEDIC!" She screamed, her eyes widening as she realized upon closer inspection that Allie was bleeding profusely from her left arm, which she had firmly clutched in her paw. Despite the effort, it seeped through and drizzled onto the floor, getting onto Layla as well. The vixen didn't seem to care as she continued to console the frazzled otter.

Soon enough a lioness and a zebra appeared wearing EMS uniforms, carrying bright red aids bags and a collapsible stretcher. As they assured Layla that they could take it from here, the red fox stood up, brushing herself off. A nice splotch of red stained her beautiful sundress, but she looked to Judy and Nick with unwavering calm, though her paws were clenched shut. The two officers looked at her in pity.

"Tell us what happened." Nick said without hesitation, his eyebrows knotted in concern. Looking back at Allie, Layla ushered them outside into the hallway to spare the otter the recap of what had transpired.

"They took Nelson." Layla said quietly, as if the perpetrator was still in the place. "They took him right from his room, we weren't even performing. It was about a half-hour ago." She opened up her balled fist, which revealed a crumpled-up note. "Allie rushed in to save him, but somebody slashed her with something sharp to fend her off. This note was sitting on the desk of his room." She said, and Judy snatched it up.

FIVE DOWN, TWO TO GO. WATCH YOUR BACK, SQUEAKER.

If the note wasn't incriminating enough, the way it was written was even more unsettling. Each letter seemed to be written in a different style, along with bold, italic, or just plain sloppiness. It was a wonder that all three of them were able to read it.

"Maybe I'm missing something, but what exactly does 'squeaker' mean?" Nick asked, and Layla looked even more disturbed than before.

"That's another weird part. Squeaker was a nickname Allie had in high school. You could probably figure out why." Layla explained. Judy slowly started to nod.

"This is good though! We have more info on the suspect! He obviously knew Allie in high school or knew of her nickname, and now we have confirmation of him targeting your group!" Judy said, an edge of excitement in her voice as she tucked the note away in her clipboard. Nick gave her a hardened look, and Judy looked to Layla, who looked like she was on the verge of tears. She nodded solemnly.

"Good." was all she said, and moved out of the way for the stretcher. On the way out, they observed Allie's tiny body lightly strapped to it, her arm all wrapped up and her leg splinted.

"Layla…..Layla, don't leave me….." She squeaked, reaching out her good arm. Something dropped to the floor, but Layla ignored it for the moment as she took her paw tightly in hers.

"I'll be there shortly. Just trust the medics okay?" She reassured her, and watched them carry her away. Looking back to Judy and Nick, her expression remained one of dazed confusion.

"How was the interview with Jerry Dubois?" She asked absent-mindedly.

"Pointless. There's no way he was able to commit these crimes." Judy explained.

"Rats." Layla hissed through her teeth, stomping her foot and crossing her arms in frustration. She looked back up at Nick and Judy, her eyes weary. Her lips quivered slightly.

"I think I have to face facts here…as long as this maniac is on the loose…..I can't be here….I can't be anywhere…." Layla said, more to herself than to Judy and Nick. She reached down to the ground, picking up the bracelet that had fallen off of Allie's wrist. She studied it, turning it over in her paws. Giving a long, pained sigh, she added;"I've been a horrible friend, and now even Allie is suffering for it."

"Whatever has happened or will happen isn't your fault." Judy argued. Layla tucked the bracelet away, turning to the both of them.

"Someone has to take the blame for this happening….." She mumbled.

"Yeah, and I do believe that that would be the _suspect,_ **not** the victim." Nick said, trying to sound sarcastic but truthful. Layla began to walk back to her own room, her shoulders slumped and her head hung slightly.

"I'm going to freshen up. You all can do whatever you feel you need to." She said softly, and without a word both of them followed the vixen back into her room.

The sound of rushing water faintly hissing from the other room, Judy and Nick sat idly in the same chairs that they had before. They did not want to leave the now lonely fox, for anticipation that if they did she would be the next victim. Judy began to look through the clipboard one again, and Nick's eyes began to wander about the room.

There was simple white curtains draped on the small window opposite of them, with a small desk adjacent to it. It was littered with albums and cd's of various artists, though from the distance Nick couldn't quite tell what they were of. Pictures hung on the wall, and his eyes rested on the largest one, which hung just to the right of the doorway. He got up to get a closer view, Judy paying no heed to his change in movement.

The photo consisted of three individuals, all red foxes. The two largest wore simple clothing, the female in a polka-dot yellow dress that buttoned up to her neck, a pair of pearl earrings in her ears. The male wore a simple pair of gray trousers, a white button-up top, and red suspenders, also donning a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. One paw from both foxes rested on either shoulder of the little one of the picture, who wore a bright pink tea dress, a hibiscus flower headband wrapped around her head. In the corner of the photo someone had written in black ink.

MATTHEW, DOROTHY, AND LAYLA MICHAELS. 27, 25, AND 6. Nick assumed the numbers meant their ages.

Nick looked to the picture not far from it, the same format but obviously many more years down the road. The parents still wore simple and thoughtful outfits, the mother wearing a black-and-white polka dot dress this time, and the father in tan dress slacks, white shirt, and blue suspenders this time. This time they were slightly wedged apart to give a spot for their much-grown daughter, who beamed at the camera with a warm smile. This time she wore a purple three-quarter sleeve turtleneck and a black skirt, her paws clasped in front of her neatly. Nick smiled at how young Layla looked, and how beautiful she had been. Down in the corner was another note, just as the other one.

MATTHEW, DOROTHY, AND LAYLA MICHAELS. LAYLA'S SENIOR YEAR. 39, 37, AND 18.

 _I bet Lucy would have grown up to be just as beautiful._ Nick thought to himself, wondering what it would have been like to have his twin alongside him through the years. Thinking of his sister's untimely demise sent a pang of regret and heartache through his body, but before he could revel on the thought too long, there was a shift in movement. As if on cue, Layla reappeared wearing a lavender button-up work shirt and worn-down denim capris.

"Well, that made me feel a little bit better." Layla remarked, looking up and realizing the very two different spots the officers were standing in. She saw Nick standing over by her family portraits, and gave the first smile they had both seen out of her since getting there.

"Enjoying my fam pics, are you?" She asked. Nick chuckled.

"I guess you could say that, Foxy." He replied, scratching the back of his neck. Layla shook her head.

"You know my name is Layla, right?" She asked teasingly. Without looking back at her again, Nick clasped his paws behind his back.

"Oh I know. I never like to use real names. Isn't that right, Carrots?" Nick asked, acknowledging his rabbit partner. However when neither heard a peep from her, they turned and realized the bunny was starting to doze, her head bobbing about. They gave each other a look, and Nick shook his head.

"Leave her be. She's not a very good sleeper." He said softly, giving a flick of dismissal with his wrist. Layla's eyebrow arched mischievously, and she smirked.

"Oh? And how would you know _that_ Mister Wilde?" She inquired suggestively, and Nick, though his facial expression remained calm and collected, felt his heart rate quicken at the thought of what had transpired the night before between Judy and himself. He turned about, crossing his arms.

"Pretty sure that's for _me_ to know and _you_ to stay out of." He replied snidely, and Layla gave a breathless giggle.

"Sure thing, 'Nicky'." She said jokingly as she sauntered over to the wall. Nick's heart skipped again as the familiar nickname of his twin sister sent another wave of guilt through him. Putting it off with a squeeze of his eyelids and a shake of his head, he turned to admire the photos with Layla.

"Man they had tried everything to keep me still. I loved to skip about." Layla said lovingly, chuckling at the first photo. Nick looked to her, studying her face for a moment.

"I noticed you um….don't have anyone else in the photos. Don't you have siblings?" Nick asked. Layla shook her head.

"No. Mom said her and Dad struggled to have kits until I came along. They called me their miracle baby until about middle school." Layla said indefinitely, and Nick nodded. Just then, they heard a loud snort and shift of movement behind them.

"Huh *snort* wha?" Judy mumbled, shaking her head back and forth as she woke up from her little nap. Nick chuckled.

"Morning, sleeping beauty. How goes it?" He chided, and Judy grumbled.

"Why'd you let me sleep?" She scolded, rubbing her eyes.

"You looked tired, so Layla and I just talked to each other and let you sleep." Nick said. Judy looked between him and Layla, a slight suspicion arising in her mind at what they could have possibly been doing. Then she realized how paranoid she was being, and shook the thought from her head.

"Well, daylight's been burning all this time and we only have the rest of today and tomorrow to figure this out. Layla, is there anything we need to do before we close for the day?" Judy asked. Layla nodded.

"I would like to go and visit Allie in the hospital. I'm sure they have a room for her by now." Layla said, glancing at the clock. It had been almost an hour since the events of that evening. "That way, you could ask Allie more questions if necessary." Judy gave a thumbs up.

"Good enough for me. Let's go." She said, and three exited the building hastily. Most of the crowd had dissipated, with only a few stragglers hanging behind to watch them hop into the police cruiser. Layla climbed in the backseat, scooting over the large, black duffle bag that contained a change of clothes and extra toiletries for both officers.

"I'll drive." Nick offered, climbing in and turning the cruiser on. Looking in the rearview mirror, he noticed Layla looking about in a bit of wonder. She locked eyes with him through the mirror.

"You know this isn't the first time I've found myself in the back of a cruiser, but I'm glad to say this time has nothing to do with me." Layla joked, and Judy cocked a brow in interest.

"Oh so you've been arrested before?" She asked. Layla laughed.

"Yeah, but it was a misdemeanor charge and the guy who had reported us was a cranky old sheep who probably hadn't seen that much commotion in years." She said, smirking deviously and shaking her head at the memory.

"So Miss Foxy isn't as gentle and sweet as we once thought?" Nick chided sarcastically. Layla laughed again.

"Not by a long shot, dude." She replied.

The hospital wasn't far from Margeaux's, and the emergency room entrance was just on the other side of the main building. After a few sharps turns and stops, Nick parked the cruiser adjacent to the third floor door, and all three exited in a rushed manner.

Going downstairs and entering through the main doors, they were greeted by a rather cheerful-looking tigress, whose staunch-white pressed uniform was almost unexplainably clean. She looked up to them and beamed a big smile.

"Welcome to Zootopia Hospital. How may I help you?" She asked.

"We are here to visit Miss Allie Smith." Layla replied gently, and the tigress nodded, typing away on the computer. After a few moments she turned her gaze back to them.

"She is in Room 456. May I ask who's visiting?" She inquired, looking somewhat skeptically at Nick and Judy, who were still in their police uniforms.

"Her friend Layla Michaels and Officers Hopps and Wilde of the ZPD." She explained. As if rehearsed, both bunny and fox flipped their ID's out in view. The tigress' expression fell to one of suspicion and confusion.

" _You're_ Layla Michaels and Officers Hopps and Wilde?" She asked. All three's expressions twisted into confusion as well.

"Well of course we are, see?" Layla said, pulling out her own ID along with the duo's. The tigress studied them again, then tapped away on the computer for a moment.

"It says here that a Miss Layla Michaels and Officers Hopps and Wilde of the ZPD came to visit Miss Smith at 3:30 in the afternoon, which was fifteen minutes ago and hasn't checked back out." The tigress said skeptically, and Layla's eyes widened. Without saying a word, she sprinted off in the direction of the elevators. Nick and Judy ran after her.

"HEY!" The tigress yelled, standing up and leaning out to glare at them as they sprinted away.

Reaching the elevators, Layla furiously slammed the UP button and jumped up and down impatiently.

"Who on earth could pose as us?" Judy asked, slightly out of breath.

"I don't know, but we need to find Allie _now._ " Layla stated firmly, hopping into the elevator the moment the doors cracked wide enough. She glanced at the directory, then punched the 5 button.

Once on the desired level, the three mammals' eyes looked around for any sort of sign to point them in the right direction to Allie's room.

"This way!" Nick yelled, pointing to the right. They all sprinted through the hallway, dodging nurses and doctors in a whirl of wind.

 _452…454…_ The numbers edged closer and closer, and as they approached they found the door open. Busting in, Layla caught sight of Allie's paws clawing desperately at the ledge outside the now busted-open window. They all gasped.

"HELP ME!" Allie screamed, and Layla wasted no time in running over and grabbing one of Allie's paws. Looking down, she saw Allie's terrified expression as she was being pulled into the window below.

"LAYLA!" She screeched, and Layla pulled with all of her might. However, whoever was on the other end was much stronger, and with an ugly _crack_ Allie was gone in a split second, a shriek trailing behind her. Layla's ears pinned against her head in absolutely horror.

"This way!" Judy yelled from just outside the door, and the three began their chase for the suspect. Barreling past room after room, they finally reached the door to the stairs, and raced their way to the level below.

However, upon entering, they realized that the level was completely empty, as it was under renovation. Despite this, they heard Allie's screams from far off.

"ALLIE!" Layla shouted, running in the direction of the voice. She spied a doorway about fifty feet ahead, where a large form carried Allie up a ladder, her tiny body flailing about. Two other forms were ahead of the seemingly larger one, their tails the only things visible from all the black.

"POLICE OFFICERS OF THE ZPD, WE ORDER YOU TO STOP." Judy yelled after them, and the three raced to the ladder, looking upwards and seeing it stretch to the entire rest of the way up to the roof. Without fail they climbed each rung hastily, and Layla was slowly gaining on the perpetrator as Allie looked down on them.

"LAYLA!" She yelled.

"I'M COMING ALLIE HOLD ON!" Layla yelled back as the mysterious form reached the top, starting to slam the door behind him. Layla threw herself against the door, shoving it open again. The sky had significantly changed from an hour ago, now gray and overcast.

Layla looked about wildly, and spotted the figures and Allie already halfway across the roof, in a dead sprint towards the edge.

"HEY!" Layla screamed, taking off at a speed that Nick and Judy couldn't keep up with.

Getting closer and closer, Layla lunged at the perpetrator, slashing at him with her bared claws and giving a frustrated growl. Before she had a tangible grip on the clothing of the masked figure, they tumbled over the edge.

"LAYLAAAA!" The young otter screeched in total agony, and Layla forced herself to stop, looking downward.

The suspect(s) had disappeared once again.

Layla stood there, her face frozen in shock and despair. The fox and rabbit, who had since caught up, stood just a few feet away. Sensing her building frustration, Judy started forward, but Nick put a paw out and put a finger to his lips.

Just then, the sky rumbled and the lightest sprinkle began to fall, spotting the dry ground with a _pitter patter_. Layla's eyes and face twisted into one of pure rage, her lips curling into an angry scowl.

"YOU COWARDS! TAKING A POOR LITTLE OTTER!" She screamed into the air, as if the ones responsible could hear her. Nick and Judy watched her in morose silence, their expression solemn and their figures absolutely still.

"YOU SPINELESS BASTARDS!" She said, her voice beginning to crack. As the rain began to trickle into a heavier downpour, the vixen dropped to her knees, hanging her head and beginning to sob. Her tears mixed in with the rain, and she slammed her fist into the ground. Her breath was steamy against the damp, humid environment, and she could feel the rain begin to soak through her clothing and weave into her fur.

Nick put an arm around Judy, guiding her forward as they both moved in closer to the fox. Judy was the first to lay a paw on Layla, kneeling down to her level. Nick followed, but he went one step further. Kneeling down, he cupped a paw around her head, bringing her sobbing face into his chest, holding her there as Judy still rested a supportive paw on her back.

Layla sobbed heavily into Nick's button-up shirt, her ears drooping with the weight of the rain and her current emotional state. In fact all their ears were not in the slightest perked up, and the trio sat in solemn silence as the rain continued to fall, soaking them all to the bone.

Nick locked eyes with Judy again, and this time they seemed to think of the same idea. Judy nodded, and then moved her rested paw to Layla's, taking it gingerly.

"Layla, I'm so sorry about all that has happened today…..But it isn't safe for you out here." Judy said, looking to Nick for affirmation. He gave a curt nod, still holding Layla close. Judy continued.

"You need to go somewhere safe. And it's obvious that Margeaux's Grill and Bar is not the place." She grimaced, trying to hold back her own tears. "Therefore, we want you to come with us for the time being, until it's safe again."

Layla looked up from Nick's chest, gazing at the bunny with a look of shock and embarrassment.

"I-I wouldn't want to be a bother." She mumbled, and Nick immediately shook his head.

"You wouldn't be. This is for your own safety, and we insist." He stated. Layla looked from him back to Judy, who nodded again. She sighed, completely straightening up and pulling away. Looking up, she finally realized that it was raining, then also realized that they had been standing in it actively for the last five minutes. She looked to the fox and rabbit, who had since stood up as well.

It didn't take long for them to go back down the way they came, and after explaining the situation to the tigress at the desk and to a few doctors who had been on Allie's care level, Nick handed the apartment key to Judy. She looked up in confusion, her violet eyes full of concern. Nick looked down at her wearily, glancing at Layla, who stood several feet away leaning against the doorframe to the outside, her back to them.

"You take Layla back to your apartment. Just drop me off at the ZPD and I'll do all the paperwork for Nelson and Allie's disappearances." He said low in his throat. Judy began to object, shaking her head.

"No, Nick we can worry about that in the morning." She said, resting a paw on his arm. He shook his head.

"It needs to be done and on file for us to make a proper arrest." He said, his gaze locking with hers. "Besides, you'll be able to console her better than me, and she needs someone to talk to when she's ready."

Judy watched the vixen from afar, who now hung her head shamefully. She looked to Nick again.

"Fine. I'll drop you off." She said, taking the keys from him and proceeding forward. Nick followed, and as they prepared to exit, Judy gently grabbed Layla's arm.

"You ready?" Judy asked gently. The vixen looked at her with her emerald orbs bloodshot and irritated. She sniffled, giving a small nod.

"Let's go."

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 **Things are definitely getting interesting! And thanks so much for the reviews to those that did! They are much appreciated! I hope to see you all soon in the next installment!**

 **Always,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	6. Chapter 6

The door to Judy's apartment squealed open as the two female mammals made their way inside. Taking a good look around, Layla surveyed her surroundings, taking a mental note of the kitchen and the bathroom. The place was not what she had expected out of such a bright and positive rabbit like Judy Hopps. The place was so dingy and gloomy, but regardless when Judy looked to her she nodded.

"It looks cozy." She said gently, placing her thrown-together cinch bag in the corner. Judy huffed.

"You don't have to lie, I know it's not the greatest. But it's bug free, dry, and is my own space, so I don't mind." She explained, and Layla cocked her head in confusion.

"Doesn't Nick live here too?" She inquired. Judy shook her head.

"Not normally. His apartment's being renovated so he's crashing with me for a while. Sorry if it's too cramped for you." She said. Layla shook her head.

"Not at all. I'll make do."

They sat in silence for several moments before Layla took a few steps to the bed, sitting down on the very corner cautiously. Judy watched her, her violet eyes aching with pity for the fox. The vixen had had a whirl-wind of a couple of days, but Judy didn't have the slightest idea on even how to begin consoling the hurting vulpes-vulpes. It was true that she had suffered losses before (How could she not having almost 500 relatives, with that only being her mother's side?) But never had she experienced the type of rapid loss that Layla had, and she wanted to comfort her.

She went over and sat next to her, resting her paws in her lap as she fished for the right words in her head. Finally, she gave up and decided to just say whatever, and hope for the best.

"So do you sing?" She asked. The question was so simple, and she hoped Layla took it. With the vixen looking up to her in a slightly startled movement, she realized that it had.

"No, not really. I'm more of a guitar and sax person, though I play almost every instrument in some way. Olivia, Nelson, and Allie do most of the singing, while Will, Terra, Jeremy, and I are the beat." Layla said, the tiniest smile creeping up her face. Judy was happy to see her flippant question begin to take the fox's mind off of what had happened recently.

"Do you guys do covers or write your own stuff?" Judy asked.

"Both. Usually when we write our own stuff, Nelson is the one to do it." Layla explained. Judy nodded.

"So I have never really asked, what species is Nelson?" Her question sent Layla laughing softly.

"It's quite alright. Nelson is an otter, and Allie's cousin. It's kinda funny actually…..I guess I could credit him with recruiting Allie, but I was the one who convinced her to join." Layla said proudly. "Of course, it took a lot to build her confidence, as it did with most of us. Will and Olivia seemed to be the only natural extroverts of the group."

"You weren't confident in your playing?" Judy said, shocked by the confession, as she had assumed all of them enjoyed being in front of a lot of mammals. Layla hugged her knees to her chest, giving a heavy sigh.

"Not usually, no. Especially starting out." She explained, looking towards the ground as she began to pull memories of her first few months with the group.

"It took Will two weeks just to get me to play in front of him and Olivia. Then another few weeks for him to get me to play in front a small crowd in a bar. He would spend at least an hour with me after everyone else had gone to bed, helping me perfect my tuning and rhythms with ease…he was such a natural at everything…." She trailed off, a small grin of admiration across her muzzle as she thought of the timber-wolf. A particular memory sprang back to life in the recesses of her mind.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It was a particularly long day for the group. The gig they had been promised ended up calling it off, and Olivia had spent the entire day calling anywhere and everywhere to get them in. The day was full of promises and then rejection, and finally Layla had had enough. She grabbed her saxophone and acoustic guitar, leaving the trailer they had rented into the snow. It was mid-January in Tundra-town, and besides the polar bears in the nearby restaurant buzzing about, there was not a soul outside.

She trudged through the foot of snow, her feet going numb after a few minutes and the bottom of her pants becoming soaked. She didn't care in the slightest, her heavy breath puffing in clouds against the frigid air. Her destination just lay about a mile ahead, and her pace quickened as the doorway came within sight.

Stepping inside, she shook her tingling extremities to knock off the snow that had collected on her pant legs and sleeves. She eyed the auditorium, where not a single mammal was in sight. She took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly and unstrapping the guitar case from her back.

Once settled onto the singular stool on the hardwood stage, she took her paws and pressed them against the strings, her fingers conforming to familiar groove that had formed from the years of playing. She smiled, strumming out the first note of her song of choice. She began to pick faster and faster, the melody ringing out in the empty music hall in overwhelming harmonious nature. She smiled almost ear to ear, continuing to strum along with passionate fervor, closing her eyes and beginning to hum the notes to the lyrics of the song, but never actually opening her muzzle to let them out.

She became lost in its sound, forgetting about anything else that had transpired over the course of the day or the entire week. All there was was this song, and her fingers tingled with anticipation at someday having the chance to play it flawlessly in front of millions of people.

"Your G chord needs to be tightened a little."

All playing came to a stop, and her eyes jolted open. In her almost drunken-like stupor of the melody she had completely lost all ears for every other sound, including the door opening and closing of the door and the shuffling of feet on the carpet. Standing below her with his arms resting on the edge of the stage was a young timber wolf, his cobalt-blue eyes watching Layla intently and a small smile on his large muzzle. Layla's eyes widened, and her heart rate quickened.

"Will, wh-what are you doing here? I thought you were back at the trailer." She said defensively, allowing the guitar to slack slightly in her grip. The wolf chuckled, grabbing the edge of the stage and hoisting himself up onto it.

"I was, but I saw you leave and decided to follow. Is that so bad?" He stated quizzically, crossing his arms. Layla could feel a small blush coming up to her face and chest. Before she lost all of her composure, her back straightened.

"Fine. But anyhow, what do _you_ know about acoustics, Mister Solid Body Electric?" Layla joked, taking a jab at the type of guitar Will was best at and played most often. The male wolf took the slight insult with a chuckle, uncrossing his arms.

"Oh they're not too different in design, Layla." He stated, sauntering over to her and taking a small turn to the left to move behind her. Before Layla could object she felt his stomach and thighs press against her back, and her breath hitched as she also felt the enveloping warmth of Will's enormous paws gently wrap around hers.

"For example," Will started, pulling Layla's left paw up slightly and strumming one of the strings. "They produce the same power of sound when it comes for major note of E, but the acoustic gives it an earthen, romantic feel." He said softly. Layla was only partially listening, as she was focused on how close the timber wolf had gotten to her. After a few more moments of strumming and humming, he pulled away slightly to look her in the eye.

"If you would bother to study the design and origin of the instrument you're playing so wonderfully, you'd know that." He stated humorously, and a wave of goosebumps went through Layla's body, stuck on the fact that Will had just complimented her playing. The stage lights cast a gentle glow on Will's dark, slate-gray fur. Layla almost couldn't speak, but finally the words escaped.

"W-wonderfully? I think you're the one here who can belt it out better than anyone. I'm no master at this." Layla argued. Will tsked his tongue, giving a slight shake of his head.

"I'm afraid that is where you are wrong, Miss Michaels." He stated softly, giving her a gentle smile. She watched him extend a paw out to her. "Now let's see if your sax needs some tuning." Layla looked back and forth between the paw and his face before finally slipping hers into it, her heart rate increasing once more at the feeling of his velveteen-like pads brushing against hers. The sheer size of their paws was drastic, but Layla didn't mind in the slightest. Once standing up, she also took note of how tall he was compared to her, the tip of her ears barely reaching his shoulders in comparison.

Something began to stir deep inside Layla as she watched the skillful wolf open her saxophone case, holding the instrument like a rare treasure and inspecting each key and pad. The feeling began in the pit of her stomach, and began to blossom forward into an array of thoughts and feelings that Layla had nary felt before. As she studied his square features and the flow of his fur all the way down to his tail that swished slightly behind him, Layla felt a wave of complete and utter admiration crash over her in an epiphany of emotions. It was right then and there that she admitted to herself what she had been keeping for so long.

She loved him.

More than guitars, more than singing, more than music itself. She had come to respect him so much, and adore his antics in every way, shape and form. The way he had guided her from shy reluctance into full-fledged confidence was remarkable, and she thanked anything and everything for him. He had been her rock, her unwavering coach for the entire time that they had known each other, and there was nothing in the world that felt more right than what she felt at this exact moment for him.

Looking up to see her gazing at him, he stopped and smiled. Not just gently, but lovingly, that only a pair of lovers could share. The look in his eyes let her know that the feelings were indeed reciprocated, and her heart fluttered like an escaped butterfly within her chest. She felt as if she had just solved the world's greatest puzzle, and the answer had been standing right in front of her the entire time.

"We aren't going to get anything done by you standing over there ogling at me, Layla Michaels." He said softly but loudly enough for her to hear, his voice edging on playfulness. She giggled, her heart beginning to do backflips as she reminisced in her name rolling off of his tongue. Walking over to him, she knelt down to inspect the saxophone as well, with Will talking her through everything she needed to succeed.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Layla."

The vixen jolted back into reality at the hissing sound of her name. She looked at the gray rabbit beside her with wide eyes, and slouched again as she realized where she was at once more.

"You kinda went off into Lala Land there for a moment. Are you okay?" Judy asked. Layla looked to the floor, the warm feeling in her chest slowly cooling from the memory. She nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, I'll be alright. Just thinking, that's all." She said softly, and Judy nodded before standing up, walking into the kitchen, and opening a cabinet.

"I don't know how your diet is, but I assume it's similar to Nick's." Judy said loudly, and Layla nodded.

"I suppose so, but I don't need anything. I'm not hungry." She stated, shaking her head softly. She watched Judy's head pop back around the corner, her violet eyes filled with concern.

"Layla, I know you're not in the mood to eat, but you need to. Your body physically needs more when it is under stress to help maintain normal levels." She sounded like a dietician, and Layla scoffed at the statement.

"Normal? I feel anything _but_ normal right now….." She grumbled.

"Layla, I-" Judy started, but something within the vixen snapped, and her eyes shot up to lock with the young rabbit's.

"Look I know you and Nick are only trying to help, but I need to forget about it for a while. And right now, you're really not helping that process _at all_." The words were sharp and blunt, and Judy's ears drooped behind her head as she saw a new side of Layla, one of exposed frustration and heartache. She felt as if she had over-stepped a line, and she retracted a few steps back.

Upon watching the bunny's expression fall to one of injured embarrassment, Layla sighed heavily, hanging her head and closing her eyes.

"I'm sorry Judy, I didn't mean to snap. It's just been a really long couple of weeks. And I feel like we're hitting a dead end." Layla explained, rubbing the back of her neck and giving a groan. Judy cautiously walked back over to her, sitting down gently beside her. Taking her paw gently, Judy waited until Layla lifted her head to look at her.

"Look I know I'm just a young, naïve bunny. But I do know a thing or two about stress, and I was only trying to help." She explained sadly, not in the least bit trying to blame Layla for her outburst. Layla nodded slightly.

"Yeah, I can definitely see it. You being a cop and all." Layla agreed. Judy scoffed.

"Not just that. My entire life….I've had to prove myself to so many mammals…..even my parents at times…" Judy stated, her eyes falling to her lap as she twiddled with her thumbs. For the first time she felt Layla's gaze on her, a slight aura of pity now spread across the pretty vixen's face. She leaned down to look her in the eye.

"Me too." She said softly. Judy was surprised at this response.

"You? But aren't you living your dream?" Judy asked, but she realized what she had said before Layla even replied.

"Well, aren't you too?" She said. When Judy didn't answer immediately, she looked to the ground. After a few moments of heavy silence, she continued. "Judy let me ask you something. How many predator music artists can you think of?"

Judy had never really paid attention to the specific demographic. To be honest, she just downloaded whatever song she enjoyed onto her ipawd, not caring at all whether the singer was male, female, predator, or prey. After some careful contemplation, she was starting to see the vixen's point.

"One, I think. Jerry Dubois." She said softly, and Layla nodded.

"He's the first one ever." She corrected, standing up and shoving her paws into the pockets of her jeans, looking out the window. Judy watched her intently.

"On a whole, nobody wants to hear a predator sing or play music, Judy." Her tone had become flat and bitter. "We're supposed to do all of the heavy work, like construction and engineering, while the prey are the ones who are naturally received in the arts and the more gentle occupations." She turned to Judy again, seeing the rabbit's facial expression turn to one of slight shock.

"It may sound like something out of a novel but…I learned it the hard way…" Layla said. "It took us a year and a half after high school just for someone to give us a chance, insisting that the music industry was for prey mammals. One place took one look at me and was disgusted, saying he had never seen an acoustic-playing fox." She said, and Judy realized the undermining racism that was subconsciously buried within the shining utopian city was still alive and well, even after the entire Night Howler fiasco. She shook her head, standing up and walking the short distance over to Layla, and before the fox could object the rabbit embraced her whole-heartedly. Layla, while initially shocked, had no trouble hugging back. After a few moments they pulled apart, and Judy looked at her in determination.

"Nobody has a right to tell you who you are or what you can do. I think a fox could make a wonderful musician. " She said, the familiarity of the former part of her statement rushing back to her. She had climbed the ladder of respect quite feverishly at the ZPD, so nobody really said anything about her being a rabbit cop anymore. In fact, she found herself not hearing anything slighted towards her in any fashion, even from the hard-hearted Chief Bogo, who had been her most vicious critic.

And for the first time that evening, Layla smiled. It wasn't one of happiness, but one of appreciation.

"You're right." Layla conferred, as if she had not believed it until the small prey had stated it. "Nobody does. And for the record, I think you've been a better cop than any I've seen out of the ZPD."

Judy looked up in surprise at the compliment, locking eyes with the vixen again. She giggled softly.

"You _and_ Nick." She added. Judy's heart skipped a little at the mention of Nick's name, and she smiled, looking towards the ground.

"Yeah…he….he is a really good partner." She agreed whole-heartedly, thinking on all the times that the two had had each other's backs and solved some tough cases the city had thrown at them. The Night Howler case had been just the beginning.

That warmth in Judy's chest returned as she thought of Nick's sarcastic façade, the way his eye would droop lazily and mischievously as he looked at her, the way his muzzle would curl into the most handsome smile she had ever seen out of a predator.

There was a shuffle of movement, and Judy's acute hearing knocked her back into reality as Layla stepped ever so closer to her, an expression on her face that Judy could akin to when someone has a found out a wonderful secret.

"You really have it bad for him don't you?" Layla asked softly, her tone full of dreamy amazement. Judy's back straightened and her eyes widened. She had been figured out. By a fox nonetheless, but not the one she had wanted to notice.

"It could never work." Judy stated defensively, her voice having gone flat and dull. Before Layla could say anything in retaliation, she shoved herself away from the vixen and sat down on the bed again. Staring straight at the floor, she brought her knees to her chest and buried her face in them. She heard the red fox move over to her, and gently place a paw on her shoulder as she sat down again too.

"What makes you say that?" Judy looked up to see Layla's eyes glimmering in concern. The bunny sighed, her ears drooping behind her head completely.

"We're completely different species. Through and through. In every classification, order, and family. What would everyone say?" Judy argued. At this Layla leaned forward, trying to lock eyes with her again. Emerald met amethyst, and Layla gave a breathless chuckle.

"Oh Judy. I know you're scared." She started, sounding like a dear friend advising another. "But it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or feels. At the end of the day, who is going to be sharing your life with you? Zootopia?" Layla threw her arms open to exaggerate, then looked to Judy again. "Or Nick Wilde?"

Judy stared at Layla in admiration, knowing fully well that the vixen was very much right. She had to admit, she had learned more about Layla in the past few days then she had learned about anyone since coming to Zootopia, including Nick. Something within both of them stirred, and Layla immediately recognized it. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, the two had found, in the deepest parts of their hearts, a newfound understanding and respect for one another as female mammals.

Before Judy could open her mouth again to thank her for the encouragement, the door swung open, and a very weary Nick walked in, undoing his tie and throwing it onto the table next to the door. He said nothing, though he looked over at the two of them with neutral acknowledgement.

"Evening." Layla said respectfully, giving a small, pained smile. Nick gave a solemn nod.

"Evening, Foxy." He replied.

Judy studied the pair of red foxes, trying to catch any sign of anything other than morose neutrality. She found none, and she mentally kicked herself for having thought for a split second that the two could flirt at a time like this. Her paranoia was getting worse. She had just had a heart-to-heart with the female fox and now she was right back to assuming the worst about her. What was wrong with her?

"Calm down, you two. Don't everybody talk at once." Nick said, trying to lighten the mood. However neither mammal acknowledged his joke, and Nick sighed.

"The reports are done. Bogo gave me a hard time about the fact that I didn't know what species Nelson was, but we found it later on file and he calmed down." Nick said, directed at Judy more than Layla. The rabbit looked up at him, giving a soft nod.

Her gaze started to wander to Layla again, studying the vixen's face as she stared at the ground. Something flashed in the lamplight, and Judy's ears perked. She realized it was the necklace Layla was always wearing, and she decided to turn the subject of conversation to that.

"What's this?" Judy inquired gently, pointing to it. Nick looked up, and recognizing the necklace as well, took a few steps closer to the two female mammals. Layla looked down, grabbing the pendant tenderly between her thumb and forefinger. She turned it about slightly.

"It's a necklace my mom said that she and dad had given me at birth. They had the letter L engraved into it, and I've worn it ever since." Layla explained, the look on her face unwavering. However, noticing her tone slightly shaking at the mention of her mom, Judy decided to dig a little further in curiosity.

"Where are your parents now?" Judy asked, and Layla's melancholy gaze turned to her. The bunny could see the physical pain and sorrow behind the vixen's light emerald eyes.

"In Willowbrook Cemetery." Her response was short but Judy's heart sank at how heavy they were. Layla added on; "They passed away within weeks of one another. My mom was the first to go, having heart failure. And my dad soon followed, from what I believe was a different kind of heart failure. A broken heart. They loved each other so dearly…." She paused, and Judy suddenly felt horrible for bringing it up. However, Layla still went on. "They died just three months after I graduated high school."

Nick remembered the photograph hanging on her wall, the one that was taken in Layla's senior year. The weight of the portrait's meaning suddenly doubled as he realized that it was perhaps the last picture Layla had of her parents and her together.

"I'm sorry." He said gently, and Layla looked at him. Shaking her head, she looked between the rabbit and fox intermittently as she spoke again.

"It's alright. It's an….old pain. One that I'm used to coping with." She explained. "My parents have been gone for almost fourteen years." She said, inadvertently revealing her age in the process.

"Wait, you're 32?" Judy asked, her tone amazed as she had done the math quickly in her head. The vixen turned to her, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"Yeah? How old did you think I was?" Layla inquired, and Judy just huffed.

"I-Well, you look way younger than that!" She said, trying not to insult the vixen. She giggled.

"Well thank you, but no. You didn't figure my age when I told you my birthdate today?" She inquired. Judy looked truly baffled.

"Well yeah, but I guess…it didn't click until just now." She explained, shrugging with a small heat rising to her face. She heard Nick chuckle, and she glared at the male fox.

"How old do you think I am? Fifteen?" He joked, and Judy growled a little.

"No!" She snapped.

"…..I'd say around the same age." Layla remarked, and both the young rabbit and fox looked to her. Nick nodded.

"I got you beat by one year, Foxy." He said, giving a small wink. Layla snapped her fingers in mock-disappointment.

"Darn! So close!" She said, giving a giggle. Judy couldn't help but let out a laugh, and the two foxes turned to look at her in confusion.

"Oh goodness you both are so OLD! I'm only 25!" Judy exclaimed. "Somebody call the nursing home, I have two escaped patients!"

Layla and Nick exchanged a look of mischief.

"Oh really? WE'RE old?" Layla asked, cocking a brow and a small smirk arising to her face.

"Yup!" Judy again erupted in laughter. Layla turned to Nick.

"I don't know, Mr. Wilde. What should our OLD selves do with this juvenile?" She said, a sneaky tone of mischief in her voice. Nick crossed his arms, mirroring the vixen's tone and body language.

"I am quite baffled myself, Miss Michaels. But one thing's for sure. She is _definitely_ a juvenile." He replied. Judy stopped momentarily at this.

"What do you mean?" Judy asked, wiping the corner of her eye for any tears that had formed. Nick sucked in a breath.

"Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that you squeal like a little child or hop around in excitement when something goes well, or how you cross your arms and pout when I make a valid point." He pointed out, and Judy immediately jumped to her own defense.

"I do _not!"_ She said, crossing her arms. Realizing she was doing exactly what he had suggested, she uncrossed them again. Layla started giggling again, and as if made to be encouragement along with the fact that she was laughing for the first time in a while, Nick turned back to the gray rabbit.

"Oh? Then what about this?" He asked, and like design he held up a small stuffed animal, which looked somewhat like a rabbit, but was so worn it was almost impossible to tell. Layla stifled another laugh, and Judy turned a bright shade of red.

"Where did you get that?" She hissed through her teeth, snatching it back and beginning to stroke its head, hugging it close to her body. "You leave Mr. Bun out of this."

"Don't act like I didn't notice that the first time I slept here." Nick said, his smirk wide and playful. Judy growled, crossing her arms again in frustration.

"I rest my case." Nick said triumphantly, giving a prideful wink towards Layla, who giggled again. Judy huffed.

"You're impossible sometimes." She chided.

"Why? Because I'm right?" Nick replied.

"No, because you're annoying." Judy retorted. Layla watched the fox and rabbit snap back and forth relentlessly, and noticed how with each insult they drew closer together. She saw Nick's tail flick in excitement, and knew that the male fox was enjoying his little run-in with the prey. She could tell by the twinkle in Judy's eye and the twitch to her own tail that she enjoyed it as well, though both mammals tried to mask their entertainment with a hard glare. Layla kept to herself, almost smelling the chemistry between them. It was the same kind of sense she got when she had been around Will, so it wasn't hard to identify.

It was then that Nick and Judy realized that Layla had gone silent again, but as they looked over she saw she was just recovering from giggling so hard, a huge grin still spread across her muzzle as she looked at them. The two gawked for a moment. The vixen had a lovely smile. She glanced between the two of them.

"What?" She inquired. Judy shook her head.

"Nothing."

At that, Nick sucked in a huge breath and stretched, puffing out his chest and extending his arms.

"Well ladies I don't know about you, but I'm ready to hit the sack." He stated, and Layla paused for a moment, taking note of the couch and the bed, which happened to be the only soft surfaces in the small apartment. Her eyebrows arched deviously, and she jumped up.

"Dibs on the couch!" She proclaimed, throwing herself down and sprawling out.

Judy and Nick were taken aback by her abrupt declaration, and after realizing what she had done, Judy blushed heavily.

"U-um are you sure you don't want the bed, Layla?" She asked nervously. Layla shook her head.

"Not at all. It's all yours." She said, a hint of suggestive leaning to her tone. Nick shook his head, knowing exactly what the vixen was up to. However, he wasn't about to complain.

"Well Carrots, there's always the floor if you feel so inclined." Nick reminded her, and started over to the bed. As much as he wanted to be in the state he was in the night before for bed, he didn't want to be indecent in front of Layla.

Judy blushed heavily. Without saying a word, she climbed into bed also, laying on her side and resting her head on the pillow. Nick followed, and Judy studied the feeling of his weight making the mattress dip and squeak. For a split second she began to imagine how it would feel to have that movement every night, and she shook the thought from her head. Not tonight.

"Good night, Layla." She called out.

"Good night, Judy. Good night to you too, Nick." came Layla's muffled voice from the couch, the vixen having since wrapped herself in a blanket like a cocoon.

"Night, Foxy." Nick replied, and Judy felt him turn towards her.

"Good night, Carrots. Tomorrow's a big day." He said, reminding her for the first time in about two hours of the case and situation at hand. She gulped.

"Good night, Nick." She said shakily. As if sensing her uneasiness, she felt Nick wrap a reassuring arm around her, pulling her close. Stunned for a moment, Judy tensed up, waiting for a snide remark from the male fox. When none came, she relaxed. She needed this tonight. All of it.

She placed a reassuring paw on his forearm, resting her head against the pillow and dozing off into oblivion in no time.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **And so concludes this installment. Sorry if this chapter seemed boring or drawn-out, I apologize. I am trying to get my slow run-in before hitting the ground running with the next chapter. I warn you all now that it's going to speed up a bit from here, not in storytelling but in the mood and atmosphere of the entire plot, and won't cool back down until the final two chapters of this story. Please leave a review of what you thought of this chapter, and stay tuned for the next one! Thanks a bunch!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	7. Chapter 7

The trees seemed to whiz by in a flash, the bright hues of green and brown melding together as the mammal's feet carried her further and further along the pristine sidewalk through the brewery district. Sweat was beginning to escape through her pores, the very ends of her paws and tail tingling with dreadful anticipation at what she may encounter upon arriving at the destination.

Just minutes ago a rather round cheetah had informed her and the two ZPD officers that a body had been found in an alleyway just north of the police department, with no description of what species or identification attached. Fearing the worst, she had left the two officers in dazed confusion and began the journey towards the address, for she knew exactly where it was located.

Her sides were beginning to hurt, but she didn't give the slightest care as she spotted the address coming up. She saw the drop behind the brick wall into the abyss of an alleyway and didn't even care how fast she was going before reaching the opening. Shoving through the small group of mammals that had congregated there, she scanned the alleyway. Laying her eyes upon it for the first time, she gawked in horror at the badly maimed body of what was left of Nelson, spatters of blood past and around him in pools.

She let out a scream that could turn any blood ice-cold, and squeezed her eyes shut, turning away as she felt the sudden need to vomit come creeping up her throat.

"Layla!" She sound of her name didn't faze her at all. A gray rabbit and red fox exited a police cruiser across the street, taking off in a dead sprint over to the now completely frazzled vixen. Upon reaching her the rabbit placed a paw on her arm, shaking her slightly.

"Who is it?" Judy asked frantically as Nick continued towards the crime scene, pushing through the crowd and then freezing in place. He turned and looked at Judy, his ears pinned against the back of his head and his eyes full of dread.

'Nelson'. He mouthed indefinitely to the agile bunny, and her heart sank. She turned to Layla again, her face twisted in agony and her body hunched over as her balled fists wrung the air. She began to quiver heavily, and Judy gently guided her back over to the cruiser, instructing her to sit quietly until Nick and her could figure this out. EMS was already en-route, seeing as they needed a medical professional to officially proclaim the otter dead before they could move him anywhere.

Upon seeing the body herself for the first time, a sickening feeling dropped like a lead ball in Judy's stomach. As much as she enjoyed being a cop, it was moments like these that she wished her mind was a tape, and she could rewind and erase everything she had ever not wanted to see.

Nick was busy taking photographs from every angle possible, his own face having drained a little from the gruesome sight. After the last shot, he locked eyes with Judy.

"He was definitely stabbed to death." Nick concluded. "At least three from what I can see."

Judy nodded solemnly, writing it down on the report paper she had brought along. She continued to hear gasps and frantic chattering from the mammals behind her, and she turned to them.

"Ladies and gentleman, I kindly ask you to leave this scene. We have professionals en-route right now to take care of this, as well as ourselves. There is nothing left to see here." She said absent-mindedly, beginning to shoo the wide array of animals away. They scoffed, beginning to leave with mothers hurrying their children along before they saw too much. One koala looked in sorrowful pity to the slain otter, shaking his head as he walked off. As soon as everyone had cleared, the rabbit cop's gaze locked onto the window facing them, seeing Layla's form slouched over in the backseat. Her eyebrows knotted in concern, and she let out a frustrated sigh. This is definitely not how she wanted the morning to go.

Nick had since come up behind her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"This can't keep happening. That's three lives lost now." Judy said. Nick nodded.

"We need to find this vermin _now._ " Nick conferred. Just then, EMS arrived and examined the body, a young leopard proclaiming the otter officially deceased. The two cops recorded it, wrote it down, and gave the medics permission to take him to the hospital morgue.

After Nelson was wrapped up and hauled away, Judy and Nick went back over to the cruiser and climbed inside. The moment the doors shut and the two settled into their seats, there came a voice that they almost didn't recognize.

"I'm done." Layla's voice was scratchy and weak from crying, and both predator and prey looked back at her.

"What do you mean?" Judy asked, her tone edgy and fearful.

"I'm done with this city. These mammals. Everything…..I'm done." The flat, uninterested tone that she had adopted made the officers give each other a worried look.

"Layla, we-" Judy began, but the fox raised her paw to silence her.

"Nelson's parents have a right to be contacted about this. I'll take you guys back to Margeaux's one last time to give you their number out of Nelson's phone, but after that…..I'm leaving Zootopia." She said, laying out her plan of action for them to see.

"But you're an important asset to this case. You can't just leave!" Judy said.

"Yes I can, Judy. And I will. It's not safe for me here. Even with you two. It's only a matter of time before whoever is doing this finds me with you, and we all become victims. I have to do what is best." Layla said, raising her voice, despite the fact that it was cracking indefinitely. Judy's eyes continued to watch her, knowing fully well that this was not what the vixen wanted to do. But, with everything that had happened to her, she definitely could not blame her either.

"Okay." was all she said. Nick said nothing, having since allowed his gaze to peer out of the passenger side window.

The entire ride was deathly silent, the tires humming beneath them as they glided across the pavement. Judy's eyes were locked in a stare out the windshield, while Nick fiddled with his taser and Layla sat with her eyes closed, leaning her head against the window frame.

Upon arriving, Layla mentioned to the bartender that they were just gathering some things and headed on back.

Back in Nelson's room, Judy and Nick stood respectively just inside the door, watching Layla fish around in Nelson's desk. Finally, she retrieved his cell phone, unlocking the emergency call section and opening up his parents' contact info.

"Here it is. 546-809-2103." She rambled off blankly, and Nick quickly scribbled it down. After wards, Layla nodded firmly.

"So this is good-bye." She stated gently. Judy pursed her lips, nodding as well.

"I suppose it is." She said, stepping forward and extending her paw. Layla took it.

"Best of luck for you." Judy said with the upmost concern. Layla nodded, and the bunny turned to exit the room. Layla turned to Nick, who had not said a word since the crime scene. Layla extended her paw this time.

"Officer Wilde, I wish you and Officer Hopps the be-" She started, but she yipped abruptly as the male fox pulled her into an embrace, perhaps as payback for her random hug in the diner yesterday. She immediately softened, hugging back before Nick pulled away, his ears pinning back and his eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"I'm sorry Foxy, I-I don't know what got into me…" He stated, scratching the back of his neck nervously. Layla smiled.

"It's quite alright. Though I'm sure you'll hear some repercussions from your cottontail friend." Layla said, nudging her head in Judy's direction. Nick looked back to see Judy staring at them through the small opening between the doorway and hallway, and Nick snorted.

"Yeah, yeah, she knows she loves me." He stated.

"Indeed." Layla agreed, giving a smile again. Not wanting to indulge any further in the specific subject, Nick looked her in the eye.

"Where will you go?" He asked. Layla hummed her response.

"Hmmmm probably back where I came from. It's been quite a long time since I've been home." Layla said after a moment or two.

"Where's 'home'?" was his next question.

"Meadow Falls." Layla replied in a heartbeat. Nick was surprised.

"That's all the way out on the outer rim of the country! I haven't ever met anyone from all the way out there!" He said. Layla huffed.

"Well now you have, big shot." She said playfully, waving her finger at him. Nick chuckled, but his expression quickly fell solemn as he locked eyes with Layla Michaels one last time. He saw something in her that caused a stirring of something within his chest, though it felt quite a deal foreign and he could barely touch what it could possibly be.

"See you later." He said, giving one small smile before starting to walk towards the doorway. Layla began in the opposite direction. A few feet later, Nick stopped, turning on his heel.

"And Layla?" He added. The vixen's ears perked up at the sound of her name from him, a rare occasion indeed. She looked back at him.

"Yes Nick?" She replied. She watched his expression fall to one of concern and hopefulness.

"…..Take care of yourself." He said softly. Layla was taken aback by how gentlemanly the fox was being, but nonetheless she nodded.

"I will."

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Once back inside the cruiser, the two officers of the ZPD just sat silently, the hum of the running engine the only sound for a long moment.

There was suddenly a chime of bells, and after a frantic feel for both of their phones, Judy realized it had been hers.

HEY THERE JUDY! ARE WE STILL ON FOR THIS SATURDAY? Her mother's all-caps typing almost made her laugh, and she groaned. She had completely forgotten of her family's reunion for National Family Day. It was one of the biggest days of the year, and though she dearly loved her parents and all of her siblings, she definitely didn't feel like dealing with all of them right now. In a weak attempt to change the subject for a moment, she turned to Nick.

"My family's getting together for NFD this Saturday. Would you be interested in going with me?" Judy asked, knowing fully well that Nick was rather a labyrinth of mystery when it came to his past and his own family. The red fox looked over at her, looking slightly surprised by her invitation.

"And spend my entire day with hundreds of little bunnies running around? Sounds like fun!" He said forcefully, not in the slightest mood to talk about such a thing. Seeing Judy's expression drop a little, his gaze immediately snapped to the floor. Before he had realized it, he saw a small, gray paw rest on his, and he looked back up at the small rabbit, her gaze full of pity.

"Nick, I know…..your past is checkered…" Her voice seemed to fade away as Nick's mind reeled back to what Layla had advised him yesterday.

 _Tell her how you feel before it's too late._

It was no secret to him that he had stronger feelings than anyone knew for his cottontail companion, despite what he had tried to tell himself or convince otherwise. He had battled the undeniable emotions for almost a year and a half now, knowing fully well that once it was put out in the open he no longer had control of it. He had no idea what to expect out of Judy. She rarely ever talked about her past relationships (if any) and had never made even the slightest move that indicated her feelings were deeper than he expected.

Suddenly realizing what she had said, he replayed that terrible day of his childhood, still hearing the shrill sound of his sister's voice echoing through the trees. Her tiny body bobbing uncontrollably along the water. The horrible feeling he had pined on for months afterwards returned, and his gaze locked with Judy's. She was watching him intently, her beautiful violet eyes shining indefinitely in the reflection of the bright light off of the hood of the police cruiser. Suddenly, something clicked, and he knew that he once again had to pour a little of his heart out into view.

"Judy I…." He started, making her ears perk up in interest. He choked back a lump that was threatening to lodge in his throat, and continued. "I haven't been entirely honest with you on a few things….and I think you deserve to know."

Judy killed the engine, yanking the keys out and shifting in her seat to fully face the vulpes-vulpes, her knees bending up into the seat.

"What is it, Nick?" She asked in a slightly demanding tone. Nick sighed.

"It's about my family." He said carefully, watching a spark of interest flare up in the bunny's eyes. He locked his onto them, his face frozen in determined neutrality.

"I have a sister."

Judy blinked a few times, then perked up even more.

"Really? What's her name? Where is she at?" She rambled.

"Not just _a_ sister. My _twin_ sister. Her name was Lucy Wilde." He said gravely, and Judy's expression and ears faltered again.

"Was…?" She asked with an air of confusion, but it dawned on her what he meant. Before she could say anything else, Nick laid out the entire story to her, every last detail. From the childish antics leading up to the event and everything he could remember. Judy sat quietly and listened, her eyebrows furrowed in tender concern at her partner's heart-to-heart moment.

"…we were only five…I never saw her again…" He finished softly, his gaze angled downward to the left of Judy's face. The bunny reached over to place both paws on his again. He looked up, grateful of the rabbit's touch.

"Nick, I had no idea." She said compassionately. Nick shook his head.

"Nobody really did. The only ones who ever knew the truth were my parents and I….." He said. Judy had rarely seen Nick be this open about anything, and as much as she wanted to know where his parents were now, she decided it was best to just console the red fox for the time being.

"Is that why you've avoided going with me on NFD with my family these past couple years?" Judy inquired carefully, trying not to upset Nick any further.

"Seeing you with all of your sisters and brothers…..makes me think of her….I should have been there for her, Judy…." Nick said absent-mindedly, and Judy heard a slight crack in his voice. However, she didn't see a single tear ride down his face, which she knew would be a huge moment. Nick _never_ cried, and in her almost two years of knowing him, Judy had ever seen him get this emotional about anything.

It had eaten away at him for so long, Nick could barely say anything further for risk of breaking down in front of the rabbit. And he certainly didn't want that to happen.

Judy reached over and pulled him into a hug, an embrace he gladly took as his placed one paw firmly on her shoulder blade.

"It wasn't your fault. Neither of you could have even began to expect what was going to happen." Judy's comforting words were music to Nick's ears, and he felt just a small bit of the guilt lift away as she confirmed that she was on his side on this.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Once he had disappeared out of view, Layla released a heavy sigh she had been holding in. Her feet aching, she took a few steps forward gingerly, Nelson's phone still in her hand. Her eyes scanned the entirety of the room, before looking down on the phone again. She had failed to realize what Nelson's wallpaper had been. Looking closely at it, she recognized the moment.

All seven of their faces smiled brightly into the lens, Olivia's head thrown back in laughter as Allie looked like she was about to fall off of the picnic table they had been standing on. They had scrambled to take the photo after their first official gig together, which had been at a potato festival. It had been a nerve-racking experience and they had had mixed reception from the prey-dominated audience. They didn't care though, the rush of performing still coursing like fire through their veins as they exited the makeshift stage on the grassy hill behind the majority of the rides and food-stands of the event.

"Get in here you guys! I want a selfie for my folks to see!" Olivia babbled excitedly, and with a few clicks a moment of their small but blossoming careers began. Just nanoseconds after the shot was taken Allie squealed, teetering off of the picnic table. Everyone laughed, Layla being the only one to reach over and help the poor otter up.

"I told you to have better posture!" Terra chided jokingly to her, and Allie fixed her headband, giving a slight huff as she glared at the tigress.

"Yeah well, so much for that!"

"Hey, hey, no fighting guys. This is a good day." Will reminded everyone, and Olivia squealed, throwing her arms around the closest mammals to her, which had been Jeremy and Nelson. (Much to their chagrin).

"This is the beginning of _everything_ , you guys! Mammals know our _names_ now!" Olivia gushed, saying it as if Gazelle herself had been in the audience. Layla watched her best friend with a small smile, her arms crossed and her head shaking slightly.

"Liv, chill. It was just a bunch of sheep and lemmings." She said through her smile, and Will shook his head at the vixen.

"Awh c'mon Layla. Don't be such a downer." He chided sarcastically, and Layla's eyebrows arched at the claim.

"Me? A downer? Never." She said, waving her paw through the air as if to flick away the comment. Terra giggled, deciding to join in on the fun. She had gone and gotten a large bag of buttered popcorn from a passing vendor, and was munching on it feverishly as she spoke.

"Oh come on now, Will. We all know our sweet little Layla is the biggest ray of sunshine this side of Rockbridge." Terra said, and Will chuckled. Sensing the sarcasm in her comment as well, Layla scoffed.

"Ha ha, Terra. _That_ was original." She retorted.

"What's the matter, Miss Michaels? She's just trying to… _butter_ you up!" Will said, grabbing a handful of Terra's popcorn and throwing it like pellets into Layla's face, who shrieked in surprise.

"Really?" She yelled, trying to suppress the laugh that was threatening to escape her throat.

Before the group knew it they were throwing the entire contents of Terra's popcorn all over each other, making an enormous mess and causing one of the ushers of the stage to scold them profusely. The gang proceeded to exit the festival, cases in hand and strapped to their backs, laughing the entire way.

Layla smiled feverishly at the phone, having not thought about that moment in at least a few months. They had come so far since that day, and as Layla continued to gaze at the screen, she realized how much things have changed since then as well.

She studied each face carefully, starting with Terra, and working her way in order of disappearance until coming to herself. She looked quite a bit younger here, with a large lily pinned to the base of her left ear to match her white tunic.

They would never have a photograph like this again.

Layla looked at them all collectively, knowing that Terra, Jeremy, and Nelson would never see the light of day again, let alone be with them again. Who knew what Olivia, Will, and Allie were going through, or if they had just not been found yet.

A thought struck Layla's mind like a lightning bolt, and she froze.

What was she _doing_? Running _away_? After everything her friends had done for her, after all the hours they had spent together. Every note, ever chord, every lyric. The endless encouragement and good times they had shared and will never share again in the same way. They had taken her in, cared for her, molded her into the best musician she had ever been, and she was the only one left unharmed.

And she was just going to _leave?_ What kind of a friend was she?

Realizing what she had to do, Layla sprinted out of the room, leaving the door ajar as she raced out of Margeaux's, in hopes that Nick and Judy were still there. Thankfully, they were. She jumped excitedly, proceeding to shorten the distance between her and the vehicle.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Judy, there's something else I've been meaning to tell you." Nick said after another few moments of silence. The rabbit's ears perked up again, and she leaned in slightly.

"Yes, Nick?" She asked, and the fox paused to take a good, long look at her in this moment. The moment before everything was thrown out for criticism and questioning. The moment before he put their friendship up for ransom indefinitely. He drew in a breath.

"Judy Hopps, I-" He started, but a large _thud_ against the window made them both jump three feet in the air. Nick whirled his head around to see Layla with her paws pressed against the glass. Giving a pained sigh, he rolled it down.

"Guys I know this sounds crazy but can I….rejoin you?" Layla asked, sounding embarrassed by how bipolar she was being.

The fox and rabbit both stared at her for a moment, taking in her words with careful thought. However, Nick pressed the unlock button for the back doors, giving her a smile.

"Of course, Foxy." He said softly, and the vixen squealed, climbing into the backseat. She placed one paw on either seat, leaning her head through the opening.

"Okay, so there's something odd about this." Layla said, referring to the case.

"What?" Judy asked, still slightly on the fact that Nick's moment of heart-to-heart was gone.

"This suspect killed Nelson before Will and Allie, who had vanished before him, which up until now had not happened. The disappearances were always in conjunction with the murders, so there's something weird about that." She said. "Also, I'd like to know why I'm the last one."

The vixen made a point. It seemed that this killer had some sort of order to things, and the fact that Layla was last had to mean something. Just then, Nick's phone started to ring, and he immediately picked it up.

"Clawhauser. What's up?" He asked.

"Hey Wilde. I wanted to tell you that the hospital morgue called to talk about a piece of evidence that you failed to recover." The cheetah explained. Nick exchanged a look with Judy and Layla, though by the looks on their face he knew they could hear him as well.

"What is it?" He asked impatiently.

"They found a note wadded in his right paw…..and….well….let me just send you a picture."

"Clawhau-" Nick started to say, but the tone of a dropped call rung out, and he groaned. The three watched the screen intently, and before they knew it a small envelope popped up. Nick hurriedly tapped on it, and it buffered. As soon as the inscription plastered itself across the screen, they felt a chill go down their back.

FOUR TO GO UNTIL MY REJECTION IS COMPENSATED. I'M COMING FOR YOU, MY DEAR VULPES. YOUR FRIENDS ARE WAITING.

"What?" Judy uttered, completely baffled. Nick just stared at the words over and over again.

"Rejection? What do they mean, 'rejection', Layla? This is obviously written for you." He said, looking back to the female fox. She shook her head, baffled by it as well.

"I-I don't know. I never really rejected anyone before….the only time I could have possibly done anything like that was when we held auditions for our group to get some new talent in." She explained, and Judy turned around.

"Who all auditioned?" She asked impatiently. Layla threw her paws up.

"I can't remember, it was _years_ ago, back before Allie was in. We were looking for a seventh member, so we held auditions for anyone and everyone. Only about twenty showed up, mostly prey who didn't realize we were a predator-dominated group."

"Okay, did any _predators_ happen to show up?" Nick asked, sounding just as impatient as Judy. This is the furthest they had gotten along the whole time with the case, and they weren't about to lose traction.

"Well I think there were only three….but I couldn't begin to tell you who they were." Layla said, then she remember something. She whipped out Nelson's phone, pressing in the passcode (the otter had not really made it a secret to what it was) and went through his memo pad. Finally coming across it, dated two and a half years ago, she scrolled through.

"What's that?" Judy asked.

"Nelson kept a list of all of the applicants, just in case any of them were to not show up or we would want to make a call-back." Layla explained, and she found what she was looking for by her abrupt squeal of excitement.

"A-HA! Here they are! Michelle Goodson, lioness. Thomas Fraley, cheetah. And….." Her voice trailed off.

"What?" Nick asked, both of them on the edge of their seats.

"….Dubois, genet." Layla finished. Judy snapped up the phone, looking it over again.

"He didn't get a _first_ name?!" Judy exclaimed. Layla shook her head.

"I guess not."

Regardless, they had a lead now. Sirens blaring and wheels screeching, the three took off at breakneck speed. Nick clutched the armrests, surprised at how the script had flipped and Judy was the one speeding now.

Barreling down the highway, Judy continued to question Layla.

"How could you have missed that?" She snapped.

"I don't know! It wasn't a big deal, none of them were chosen! They all had their own faults, and I barely remember what Dubois even sounded like!" Layla said, clutching parts of the seat herself with her ears pinned flat against her skull.

"Not even a little? What was he _like?_ " Judy asked, and Nick could see the frustration boiling in his partners' veins. Layla continued to look absolutely star-struck.

"I…..I have no clue. I'm sorry, Officers." She said softly but loudly enough for both of them to hear. Nick looked back at her in pity, but whirled around again as they came upon the driveway. Judy took a sharp turn into it, making all three of them almost get thrown out of their seats.

Coming up on the house, all three jumped out and Judy sprinted to the door, pounding feverishly on it.

"Jerry Dubois! I know you're in there! Open up!" She yelled, but there was no answer. Jiggling the door handle, she growled before Nick came up behind her, kicking at it. Finally, it busted open and the three rushed the hallway, looking around wildly.

"Jerry Dubois! Come out with your hands UP!" Nick called out, the two having since pulled their glocks from their holsters, which they rarely ever did. There was absolute silence, until such a loud, piercing bang split through the air they all were taken aback.

Layla screamed, looking down at the hole in the ground where the round had barely missed her. Following the direction of the shot, Nick spotted a black figure on the hallway above before he disappeared back behind a doorway.

"HEY!" He yelled angrily, sprinting off in his direction with Judy and Layla not far behind. They raced up to the second level via staircase, and they all saw the figure disappear behind yet another door. Racing to catch up, they rounded the corner and stopped.

The door opened up onto an outside terrace on the building, complete with sculpted shrubs and statues of scantily clad genets. The wind was slightly more powerful up here, and the shrubs rustled in it softly. Judy immediately laid eyes on a standing figure on the far end, and recognized him immediately.

"JERRY DUBOIS!" She yelled, approaching the genet. She reached him, grabbing him by the shoulder and turning him about. He wore a simple pair of black dress pants and a white button-up shirt, with a classic black tie hugging his neck. To their surprise, he looked rather calm as far as expressions go, but his eyes screamed terror. He began to shake his head slightly. Ignoring this, Judy puffed out her chest.

"Jerry Dubois, you are under arrest for the kidnappings of six and the murders of three mammals. You have the right to remain silent and everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." Judy rambled off his rights as she started to grab for his paws, using her other paw to reach for a pair of handcuffs.

"No, mon cher! You don't understand!" He cried out. Just then, he dropped to his knees, screaming in agony. The buzz of electric hummed in the air, and it was then that they realized the stylish necktie he was wearing was in fact a shock-collar in disguise. They all stood in horror as he writhed uncontrollably, completely baffled as to what was going on.

"So…the rest of my party has finally arrived."

The two foxes and rabbit followed the sound of the slightly accented voice, and gasped as they finally met the body to the voice.

Standing stiffly, shock-collar controller in paw and a nasty grin plastered on his face, was none other than Jerry's scrappy brother, Oscar Dubois.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **Oooooooooo cliffhanger! Stay tuned everyone, it's getting good now!**

 **Always thankful,**

 **AleahLondon 1987**


	8. Chapter 8

The trio, completely in shock, stood with their mouths agape at the now identified suspect, and the genet released his thumb on the shock collar. Jerry gulped for aired, hunching over to cough violently. He watched the three mammals intently, a triumphant gaze riddling his face. Layla began to shake her head in frustration.

"Oscar Dubois you are under arrest!" Judy cried out, pointing her weapon at the small predator. Oscar laughed whole-heartedly.

"Oh Officer Hopps! What a drole de petite lapin (funny little bunny) you are!" He chided before whipping out his own pistol, aiming in their direction. There was an array of cocking weapons soon after, and as the three looked around, they realized that there were henchmen in every single window and doorway facing the terrace, assault rifles pointed directly at them.

"Drop your weapons. You will not need them, nor will they help you." Oscar ordered, and with reluctance the two ZPD officers threw them to the ground in obedience. Oscar chortled. Judy started to reach for her walkie talkie, but Oscar spotted her doing so.

"Don't even think about it, Miss Hopps. You raise that speaker to your muzzle and your rabbit pelt will be splattered all over the tile." He stated coolly. Nick growled low in his throat at that threat, as if the genet couldn't already give him enough reason to despise him. When nothing else transpired for a good ten seconds Oscar Dubois smiled. He pointed the pistol at the two officers.

"Both of you, spread out. I will not have any surprises today." He said, and the two of them obeyed, spreading the distance between each and Layla evenly. Nick gave a slightly worried look to both of them, but said nothing. Oscar nodded as soon as they were where he wanted them to be.

"Good. Now that we have the technicalities out of the way, I am sure you all are quite-" He began, but Layla cut in before he could finish his thought.

"Where are my friends, you slimy little vermin?" She hissed angrily through her teeth. Though they saw the genet reel back slightly, he chuckled.

"Ah, Miss Layla Michaels. The beauty of Meadow Falls High. The one that every male mammal in their right mind wanted to get with." He said dreamily, as if thinking back on a fond memory. Nick saw Layla slack in posture slightly out of the corner of his eye, though he dared not move. The genet looked her dead in the eye, his stare like daggers into her soul. "Remember me?"

"I can't say that I do. Now where. are. my. **friends.** " She asked again. Oscar threw his head back and laughed again.

"Oh don't worry, mon cher. They are right where they belong." He stated nonchalantly, and they heard yells coming from one of the doorways. Writhing in a pair of henchman's arms, an average sized ocelot and otter came into view. Soon after came a large gray wolf, being led/dragged out with his paws tied behind his back. They all had the same kind of shock collars on that Jerry had. Allie was the first to see Layla, and her eyes widened.

"LAYLA!" She yelled. It was then that the ocelot and wolf whirled their heads around as much as they could, and looked as surprised as ever. Layla felt as if her heart could burst at the sight of them, alive and well, and she so desperately wanted to run to them. She opened her muzzle to reply, but Oscar's voice cut in.

"Silence over there!" Oscar hissed, and with one push of the control all four (including Jerry) screamed in pain. Layla's eyes widened in horror and she went to scream at the genet. However, the rabbit cop beat her to it.

"Stop that, you're hurting them!" Judy demanded, and the genet chortled heartily to himself.

"Trust me, if I wanted to hurt them they would be dead by now." Oscar replied, releasing his hold on it once again. Layla glared at him again.

"Then why haven't you?" She growled through clenched teeth. Oscar Dubois proceeded to walk a little closer to them, giving a small sigh. His eyelids had drooped to cool arrogance.

"Oh Miss Michaels. Are you really that dense?" He asked. He stopped a few feet in front of her, leaning in ever so slightly until Layla could smell his rancid breath. He lightly brushed his muzzle against her ear, and she winced.

"Because I couldn't possibly allow you to miss out on such an occasion as this." He said low in his throat, pulling away to give her a look of absolute evil. Layla looked like she was about to cry as she realized how truly awful the genet was. Studying the genet, the vixen couldn't help but notice the anticipation behind his eyes as he was waiting for her to say the magic words. Ultimately they came; in a voice so shaky and weak that if the listening party had been any farther away they would have not heard it.

"Why are you _doing_ this?" She whispered. Oscar Dubois clicked his tongue, pulling away completely and folding his hands behind his back, the control to the shock collars still wedged in his paws.

"Imagine, if you all would, a small town high school on the outskirts of the country." He began as he made a 360 to acknowledge all of them. "The class population, fifty five. A small predator has a dream. A dream of becoming a pop star."

Judy, Nick, and Layla watched his every move, and the genet seemed to enjoy every moment of it. He continued.

"One day, he sees a flyer. A flyer for a traveling group that plays and performs for audiences of all walks of life. It sparks his interest, especially since the famed Layla Michaels was a part of it." Oscar said, gesturing to the vixen. She flinched back ever so slightly, and suddenly the memory flashed before her mind like a playback.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Mister Oscar Dubois. May you please come forward?" Will said, looking down at the list of applicants. The group was seated at a long foldout table in the center of the auditorium of Meadow Falls High. Will had been in charge of leading the auditions, while Olivia, Nelson, Terra, Jeremy, and Layla were the judges.

The group's ears perked as they heard a chair screech back, and a tiny genet made his way to the stage, wearing a checkered sweater vest, a white undershirt, khakis, and a bright red bow-tie. He stretched up to grab the mic, pulling it down to his level before tapping it lightly.

"Hi my name is-" The mic rung out loudly in a glitch, causing everyone to momentarily cover their ears and cringe. Once returned to normal, he tried again.

"Hi, my name is Oscar Dubois, and I will be singing Counting Stars by OneRatpublic." The genet explained as his large glasses slid down his snout. After shoving them back into place, the genet proceeded to tap his foot lightly to the beat of the song as it echoed over the sound system.

 _Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep_

 _Dreamin' about the things that we could be_

 _But baby I've been, I've been praying hard_

 _Said no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars_

 _Yeah we'll be counting….stars_

As the melody played between verses, the group looked at one another and cringed. The genet, while having a steady rhythm, had a pitch that jumped all over the place in the most unattractive way. They politely allowed the genet to continue through the entire song, and they especially fought the urge to wince as he belted out the last part.

 _Take that money, watch it burn_

 _Sing in the river the lessons I learned_

Upon finishing the genet looked to them with this look of excitement plastered across his face. Will gently took the mic in his paw.

"U-um…thank you, Mister Dubois for your courage in singing that. We really appreciate it." He stated kindly. The small predator nodded. Will turned to his bandmates, blowing a sigh through his muzzle.

"Guys? Your thoughts?" Olivia was the first to speak.

"Well Mister Dubois..um…you have a…..a wonderful sense of rhythm." The ocelot tried hard not to sound uneasy or too critical.

"Definitely. A very nice rhythm." Nelson and Jeremy agreed.

"And you definitely have the passion!" Terra added, at which the rest of them agreed in mumbles and nods. Layla, who had sat silently the entire time, looked at the genet with dumbfounded amazement with her paws neatly clasped in front of her on the table. Will realized that the vixen had been quiet for the entire time and raised his eyebrows.

"Layla? What about you?" Will asked.

The other five turned to their newest member at the time. Looking back to the genet, Layla didn't speak for another few seconds. Then finally her criticism was laid out.

"Mister Dubois, I agree with my bandmates that you definitely have rhythm and passion. But your pitch…..it needs some work. Not saying it's bad, but definitely needs practice. I definitely see some potential. But it's not what we're looking for right now. I appreciate your effort and your time today." Layla said, not wanting to tear into Oscar in any way but couldn't stand the thought of not informing him of his flaws for future audience's sake.

For a moment nobody moved a muscle, the genet staring at the vixen with the blankest expression, his mouth slightly ajar. Finally he perked up and pushed his glasses against his face again.

"Okay! Thanks for havin' me!" He replied, bouncing off of the stage and out the door before Will could reassure him of anything.

Will gave a slightly agitated glare to Layla.

"What was _that_? He wasn't the worst we've heard!" He defended the genet. Layla shrugged.

"You know I have a thing about pitch, Will." was all she said, and Terra chuckled loudly.

"You are such a _devil,_ Layla. Will anybody _ever_ impress you?" She asked playfully. Layla shrugged once more.

"Perhaps someday."

Will just shook his head, gathering the stack of applications and straightening them out, flipping to the next contestant without another word.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Layla shifted back to reality as the sinister genet advanced towards her again. Her eyes narrowed, and her eyebrows furrowed into an angry knot.

"I said and did nothing that truly hurt you. I was being honest." She said, her voice low and flat. Judy and Nick exchanged a worried look, because they had never seen the vixen so obviously enraged.

"You _HUMILIATED_ me! Slighted my name! Tore me down!" Oscar screamed with his small body shaking with frustration. He had been waiting a long time to say this, Layla could tell by how punctual each word was. "I admired you, how despite your predator status chose to stick with your dream. Your opinion was all that mattered to me, and you treated that privilege like des dechets! (garbage)" He yelled. This completely caught everyone off guard, not expecting the culprit behind six kidnappings and three murders to have anything heartfelt to say. He nodded firmly, collecting himself and fixing his coat.

"My mistake." He added, glaring at the vixen in contempt. Layla mirrored it. "However. Even after your disrespect I found the courage to carry on. I began to work overtime at my job, and played backup instruments at wedding receptions and graduation parties for extra money." Oscar explained. "Finally, at the ripe age of 26, I achieved enough funds to start my own recording label. I had everything set, and I was about to debut my first album." He then turned to Jerry, who had since been completely quiet. Raising his paw with the control button lodged in it, he pointed to him.

"Until my slimy bigger brother came along and stole _everything_ from me. My funds, my album drafts, everything. You selfish, worthless sack of fleas!" Oscar shouted at Jerry, who looked scared out of his mind. "You then proceeded to not give me any credit, or even treat me with a decent amount of respect! I was thrown to the back burner, as if my life's work meant _nothing!_ "

"Brother I-" Jerry began to argue, but the quick buzz of the shock collar silenced him.

"SHUT UP! I'M TIRED OF BEING IN YOUR SHADOW!" Oscar screamed, his eyes wild with rage.

This is when things turned cold. The wind had picked up again, howling ever so slightly as it swirled around the terrace. The officers and fox could almost feel the atmosphere and temperature change as Oscar Dubois turned around once more to face them, this time his expression menacing and borderline psychopathic.

"Now I shall prove you _all_ wrong. You," he said threateningly, pointing towards Jerry, then reeling around to point at Layla. "And _**you.**_ You ALL will see what a great musician and singer Oscar Dubois is. And I will exterminate every mammal off the face of this country who dares challenge me!" He hissed indefinitely, throwing his paw to the side as emphasis on his plan. "When all is said and done, even Gazelle, Mooselina, and my brother will be _nothing,_ and only I will remain on the radio. On television. In concerts." His voice rose with every word until he was screaming his plan to the sky in absolute fiendish satisfaction. Amidst his monologue Layla had looked back to Will, who shot her a concerned look. He mouthed something to her but she could barely understand it, and the vixen heard the genet's feet shift.

Layla watched as Oscar's face drooped into a malicious stone-faced façade, approaching ever so slowly. He swayed slightly as he walked, as if he was stalking prey on the verge of pouncing. And suddenly Layla felt more uncomfortable than she had ever been.

"Now Miss Michaels, despite your blatant disrespect, I will give you one last chance." He explained in a tone low and gravelly. For a moment nobody did anything. Then he extended a paw for her to grab. "Join me in my pursuit to rid this vile country of all its talentless bozos, and together we can become the only artists that will ever mean anything in this place." A smile of absolute insanity spread across his muzzle, and Layla stared at him blankly. The entire terrace was silent as the fur on Layla's face and chest rustled slightly in the swift-moving air.

"You're crazy." She mumbled. Judy's breath hitched, and Nick's eyes widened ever so slowly. Was _she_ crazy, talking to a proven murderer like that? She answered their question by continuing. "After everything you've done….everything you've taken away from me forever…I would rather die than join you." She growled. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she stood her ground firmly while facing the genet. Oscar's expression fell slowly, his eyebrows turning down and a smirk across his muzzle as he chuckled.

" _That_ can be arranged." He replied, whipping out his pistol again with the barrel pointed straight at her chest. Judy and Nick gasped.

"NO!" Olivia screamed from behind, thrashing around as the henchmen holding her kept her from rushing forward. Claws scratched at the tile floor with a distinct growl and whimper ringing out from behind them as well.

"You shoot her, Dubois, and you'll be hearing from me!" growled Will, who was also being detained from advancing towards the genet. Nick took a quick look back at the canis lupes. The large predator's gaze hardened as Oscar shook his head in mock pity at the timber wolf, the pistol still aimed square at Layla's heart.

"Oh don't worry, my friend. I _will_ be hearing from you. All of you. The sound of your yips and whimpers when I shoot you point-blank like your precious little vixen here." He hissed.

"You won't get away with this, Dubois. Even if you manage to kill all of us, the ZPD will find out." Nick stated coolly. Oscar looked to the vulpes-vulpes.

"And that's supposed to scare me, Monsieur Wilde? What are they _teaching_ in the police academy these days? Movie quotes?" Oscar retorted effortlessly. Nick growled, but Oscar didn't pay it any mind. He turned back to Layla, cocking the hammer of the pistol back slowly.

"I want to watch your face when you fall." He grumbled low in his throat. Layla stared at him, her eyes wide with her lips curled in dread. He arched a brow. "And besides, we don't want a bullet ruining that pretty little face now do we?"

Layla sucked in a breath, squeezing her eyes shut. She awaited the instantaneous pain. The blast of a hot, metal object ejecting through the very raw center of her chest. She awaited the end, what was on the other side. She thought for a split moment about Terra, Jeremy, and Nelson, and how she would be joining them soon.

 _ **BANG!**_

 __Everyone screamed. Layla clutched her chest. To her surprise she felt no pain and not the least bit of blood. Confused, she heard a sickening thud beside her. Her eyes shooting open she looked down to see Nick lying face-down on the tile floor, a trickle of blood beginning to pool around his upper chest. Layla barely had time to react when Judy's cry put the shot from the pistol to shame.

" _ **NIIIIIIIIICK!**_ "

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **Oh I think I'm addicted to this nail-biting endings! Ha ha! Stay tuned everybody!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	9. Chapter 9

Not wasting a moment Judy sprinted over to Nick's crumpled form, sliding to her knees and cupping a paw around the back of his neck. Layla helped her shift him onto his back, and they discovered a nice scrape on his forehead from where he had hit the pavement. Scarlet red blossomed from the left side of his chest and under his arm like a rose, and Judy frantically looked around.

""OFFICER HOPPS TO THE ZPD. WE HAVE AN OFFICER DOWN. WE HAVE AN OFFICER **DOWN**. SEND MEDICS AND BACKUP!" She screamed into the speaker, her voice echoing across the terrace in frantic fear. They heard someone click their tongue.

"Shame. Wrong fox." Oscar Dubois remarked, and Layla's eyes narrowed viciously as her paws curled in malice.

"Why you…." She growled, and lunged at the genet. Catching him off guard, she wrestled the pistol from his grip, throwing the firearm several feet across the tile. Luckily for her the control to the shock collars had been knocked from his grasp as well. Despite there being many of them, there wasn't one shot from anywhere in the windows or doors. A quick look around made Judy realize that all of Oscar's henchmen had fled.

"Cowards." She grumbled to herself.

Oscar Dubois grabbed at the fur around Layla's neck, throwing her against the ground. She gave a sharp whimper, but quickly regained momentum as she grabbed his shoulders and pinned him back like a professional wrestler.

Amidst their tustle, Judy looked worriedly down at Nick, who was still somewhat conscious. She held both paws firmly to his wound, but could still feel the warm trickle of blood seep through his uniform and onto the floor. She watched his eyelids droop and his eyes look at her in a stunned haze, the stinging heat of the lodged bullet burning inside.

"C-Carrots….I…." Nick mumbled before his eyes rolled to the back of his skull, his body going limp as he inexplicably lost consciousness. Judy's eyes widened, and she looked to the two mammals fighting viciously near her.

Layla and Oscar continued to fight amongst one another, but Layla kept a slight upper hand the entire time. Being about ten pounds heavier and three inches taller had its advantages for the female fox. However, Oscar was definitely not going out without a fight.

"Would you look at this? I ended up wrestling with you anyways." He said and Layla scoffed, disgusted at his lewd comment.

"You're disgusting." She grunted.

"Perhaps, but proudly." He said, throwing his hind legs against her torso in an attempt to tilt her once more. Once Layla turned her head to look, he clawed at her cheek. She yipped, giving another low growl.

Pinning him again, Layla bared her small but sharpened claws. With one vicious swipe she scratched at his throat, making him whimper slightly. She seized the moment to give him a clean hit to the skull, and her body heaved for air as the genet went limp, indicating he had also slipped into unconsciousness. She stood up, looking over to realize that Will, Olivia, and Allie were struggling to free themselves, the henchmen who had withheld them having since tethered them to a pillar and fled as well.

Still breathing heavily Layla groaned, dragging the genet over to Judy. The rabbit cop quickly handed her the pair of handcuffs while she still had a firm paw pressed to Nick's wound, and Layla snapped them on no problem.

"I'm no cop, but I'm pretty sure they teach _that_ in the police academy." She said, and if it had not been for the current situation, Judy would have laughed at the irony of the statement.

Layla began to kneel next to Nick, but Judy shook her head. She gestured to her three friends.

"Go help them. I have Nick covered until EMS arrives." Judy reassured her as she tossed a pocket knife to her, and Layla nodded, sprinting over to her friends.

Cutting open the ropes, all three mammals immediately attacked their friend in a group hug.

"Layla you bad, bad vixen! You totally creamed him!" Olivia babbled excitedly, referring to Layla's run in with Oscar Dubois.

"Yeah, I wish I could have done that!" Allie agreed in a whimper. Layla pulled away and looked each of them in the eye with a newfound gratitude.

"I thought I'd never see you guys again….." Layla said quietly, feeling herself want to sing from the mountain top in being reunited with them. Her gaze rested on Will, who looked down on her with a mischievous gaze, and she knew what was coming.

"Now come on, Layla. We're like a bad penny. We're always turn up." Will replied. Layla shook her head in disbelief at how corny the joke was. She had missed it. They heard the hum of a helicopter's blades overhead, and all them looked to see a Zootopia Police Department helicopter start its decent onto the terrace.

Once landed, Officer Hipotaum exited it with two medics at his side. They quickly looked over Nick before giving a nod to each other, and strapping him into a litter. The officer leaned in to talk to Judy, and Layla watched intently until she saw the hippopotamus start to head back to the heli.

"Hold on, you guys." Layla said to the three mammals, running over to meet up with Layla. Judy had her arms crossed tightly to combat the cold temperature the helicopter emitted, and her large ears flapped in the rising gusts.

"They say it doesn't look good. I'm going to ride with them to ZH. You guys can follow with Officers Wolfsbane and Saebra when they get here." Judy explained. Layla placed a paw on Judy's arm.

"Meet you over there. Everything will be okay." Layla said, but the bunny just nodded bitterly as the two departed again, the agile mammal hopping up into the chopper effortlessly before the pilot lifted off again in a rush. Layla watched the heli glide across the sky and out of sight, then turned to her friends who had confused looks on their faces.

"Who _were_ those two?" Olivia asked.

"They were the officers assigned to find you guys…." Layla started to say, but trailed off at the realization that she still had come out unharmed while another mammal had suffered for her mistake. Will came forward and wrapped a paw around her shoulder, letting her lean against him as tears started to form.

"Well I do believe we owe that fox officer big time." He said, looking to the sky as if the heli was still in view. Layla nodded, blinking back the stinging tears that threatened to escape the corners of her eyes as she clutched the fabric of Will's flannel shirt.

"That I do." She mumbled softly. Just then, they heard the two officers sent to them yelling inside, and prepared themselves to turn in Oscar and Jerry Dubois.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"We need another IV bag, stat. This one's losing volume fast." A young gazelle nurse yelled to another, pushing the gurney along the pristine, whitewashed hallway of Zootopia Hospital. Nick, who had since been bandaged up and had an IV stuck in his right arm, lay still unconscious as the team of medical professionals pushed him along to the emergency room.

Judy stayed right alongside the gurney, her paw firmly wrapped around one of the side railings as she had eyes for nobody but Nick.

Once settled into a room, the nurses asked Judy to step out for a moment so that they could dress him in proper, more comfortable hospital attire and have a doctor come check him immediately. Her feet tapping rapidly against the polished tile, Judy sat on the edge of the seat across the hallway. She watched the white blurs of nurses and doctors whiz around her partner. It seemed like an eternity before a leopard appeared in the traditional green scrubs, layered over with a white coat and a pair of spectacles resting on the tip of his muzzle. He walked forward and spoke as he extended a paw.

"Hello, Officer, my name is Doctor Halcolm. I will be the one primarily in charge of your partner's treatment and recovery while here at ZH." He introduced himself. Judy shook his hand before crossing her arms again, giving a forced smile.

"Officer Judy Hopps." She replied. Dr. Halcolm nodded.

"Pleasure. If you would please, follow me." He said, and with that the middle-aged leopard led Judy into the room, where Nick lay adorned in a usual hospital gown and still hooked to an IV.

"How is he?" Judy asked gravely, terrified of the answer. The leopard sighed as a nurse did one final examination of the male fox before exiting the room and leaving them standing alone.

"He has lost quite a bit of blood. Even with your said treatment on scene that Officer Hipotaum described to me, he has still lost about three pints, which is significant for his species." The doctor explained. Judy didn't like the sound of that. "The wound he acquired was to the axillary artery, which is located just inside the armpit. It's second-most important to blood distribution throughout the body, and when severed can cause significant problems for the patient." Judy didn't like the sound of that either.

"What are you going to do?" was her next question.

"We have to perform surgery to remove the bullet, which is lodged inside. However, in order to do so would mean furthering the wound ever so slightly, causing more damage and bleeding. And in his current state, we can't possibly do that by risk of worsening his condition." The leopard frowned. "The long and short of it is, Officer Hopps, is if we cannot find an emergency blood donation within the next few hours… it is very likely he… won't make it."

The words hung heavy in the air, and Judy stared at her partner, her chest pounding. She couldn't even begin to fathom the emotions running through her mind. Nick? Dead? She couldn't even make it a reality in her head, much less let it unfold right before her eyes. Her eyebrows knotted in determination, she turned back to Dr. Halcolm.

"What's his blood type?" She asked.

"Our records say it's O negative, which is among the rarest types." He stated. Judy's heart sank indefinitely. She was A positive. The only reason she knew is because they had tested her at the academy when she was training.

"Don't you have reservoirs of O negative _some_ where?" She asked frantically. The doctor shook his head.

"We recently had an influx in car accidents and the amount of blood that was needed was astronomical. We currently do not have any O negative in storage. And only other O negatives can give their blood to O negative patients." The doctor explained grimly. "Are there any family members that we can contact that will possibly be a match?"

"No, he hasn't spoken to his family in years and his sister is deceased….." Judy explained. She looked to Nick in absolute pity and concern, not liking how this was turning out. A new well of rage tapped open in her chest, and she glared at the leopard.

"How could you _not have it?_ He's DYING!" Judy shrieked, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks as the entire world seemed to fall from underneath her feet. The doctor quickly caught her as she let her knees give out, and she sobbed into his arm.

Just then, Layla arrived with her friends, and observed the sobbing Judy in the doctor's arms and Nick laying idly in the hospital bed. She rushed forward, with Will, Olivia, and Allie respectfully standing outside the door.

"What's happening?" She asked in a just as worried tone, and the doctor repeated the situation to the vixen. Judy had since went and sat in the chair closest to the bed, laying her paw on top of Nick's.

"….Without an emergency blood donation….I'm afraid his situation looks very grim." The doctor explained for the second time that day. Layla's ears dropped, a heavy weight in her stomach as she looked to the two officers. She had barely known them for four days and already she felt her heart tear in two. They didn't deserve this, nor should they ever. The situation was grim, and time was ticking away at Nick's chances. It seemed like nothing would be the solution, until it began flashing in Layla's mind like an obvious HERE I AM sign, and she quickly turned to the doctor.

"Take mine!" She cried. Everyone within earshot immediately snapped up and looked at her in surprise. Layla ignored the sudden attention. "Mine _has_ to work! We're the same species!"

"That's not entirely how it works, Miss….?" The doctor started and Layla babbled on.

"Michaels. And why should it not work? What do we have to lose?" She rambled, throwing her paws up in emphasis. Dr. Halcolm glanced at Nick, then gave another long sigh.

"Well, what is your blood type?" He asked. Layla's expression faltered for moment. She hadn't thought of that.

"Well…..I don't know. I've never had to give blood before….and I don't remember ever seeing it on my records." She explained. The doctor nodded, looking at his watch.

"We can test it for compatibility, and if it's a match, we will go on full-speed ahead with the surgery." He explained before clicking open his pen. "Now Miss Michaels, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about your medical past before we test your blood? Are you comfortable with others hearing your answers? Normally I would pull you into my office, but time is of the essence."

"Shoot." Layla replied, but cringed slightly at her choice of words.

"Well first off have you ever been hospitalized in your lifetime for anything life-threatening?" He started.

"I was hospitalized for a while when I was little. My mom told me it was the measles. In fact, my first memory was waking up to them holding my paw….but other than that, no." She explained. Dr. Halcolm nodded.

"Childhood hospitalizations won't affect your eligibility. Did you have any surgeries at that time?"

"I have a small scar at the base of my left ear from where the doctors had to take a tissue sample." Layla said, pointing to it. Judy watched her carefully from Nick's bedside, hoping she would still be eligible. The doctor took a quick look, then jotted it down before continuing.

"Have you ever tested positive for a disease, and if yes, have you sought treatment?"

"No and no." Layla replied flawlessly. The doctor clicked back the pen, tucking his clipboard under his arm before gesturing to the door.

"Those are the only things we as doctor are concerned about, and anything more that needs asked we will ask you before we take blood. After you, Miss Michaels." He said, and the vixen walked towards the door. On the way out, Will grabbed her arm gently.

"Layla, are you sure you want to do this? They're going to take a lot out of you if you're compatible with this guy." Will asked nervously, and the vixen nodded.

"I'm sure, Will. He…..he saved my life." She mumbled softly, taking one last look back at Judy, who stared at her with a glimmer of hope in her violet eyes. She still had a firm hold on Nick's left paw, and the two exchanged a nod before Layla looked to Will again, giving a smile. The timber wolf sighed, releasing her arm and allowing her to follow the doctor towards the phlebotomy ward.

Layla was seated in a rather comfortable leather chair, a tray of empty vials and a sharps container resting on the small wheeled table next to her. She waited patiently for Dr. Halcolm to reappear, but instead she was met by a young female ox.

"This is just the tester to look at your compatibility." Was the only thing she said to her, and Layla obeyed. She cleaned the site and the ox wrapped the elastic band around the middle of Layla's upper arm. Once the needle came into view Layla squeezed her eyes shut and released a huge sigh.

Her mind scrambled back to the hospital room. She began to wonder why Nick had done it. Sure, they had become friends, but she didn't feel as if she was _that_ important to the police duo. If anything, she should be the one laying in that bed in hospital attire. The bullet was intended for her, but instead it found itself lodged in the wrong fox. Guilt began to eat away at Layla's conscience as she felt the sharp prick of the needle into her vein and she winced. Clenching her paw she watched the scarlet fluid flood the small vial, and as quickly as it had started, the ox nurse capped the vial and labeled it. Dr. Halcolm reappeared in view, giving a grave smile.

"We'll have this tested and approved as quickly as we can, Miss Michaels. My nurses will keep a close eye on Mr. Wilde in the meantime." He reassured her. She nodded, and he exited the small lab.

 _Please be a match._ was all Layla could think about, starting to feel the weight of weary eyelids droop over her vision. Succumbing to it, her head rested against the back of the chair as she began to doze.

Back in the room, Judy studied Nick's resting expression carefully, not wanting to miss a single change in movement. Half of her wanted him to wake up, to say it was all a cruel joke and they could go hand over the completed case to Chief Bogo with both of them intact. However, the beep of the heart monitor, the O2 sat reader on Nick's left index finger, and the enormous white bandage wrapped around the entirety of his left shoulder and side proved otherwise.

He looked somewhat peaceful asleep, though Judy knew it was farthest from the truth. True, the doctors had given him enough IV fluid to last a bit longer but what he needed was what he was lacking as of right now. And Layla, with fingers crossed, would be the solution to that problem.

Layla. The name was almost normal for her, seeing as the two officers had spent the entirety of three days running about with the beautiful vixen. Her ears drooped slightly.

There was no denying how pretty the vixen was for her species. Only a fool would pass up the chance to be with her. Looking back at Nick, she battled with a thought in her mind. A thought that had been hanging out in the back of her mind until now, rearing its ugly head to where Judy could not avoid it. It was the hardest thought of all, something Judy desperately didn't want to think or adopt into existence, but found she had no choice. It was time to accept the fact that Judy loved Nick Wilde…but Nick Wilde didn't love her.

The blunt force of pain to her heart ruptured, and her eyes didn't wander anywhere but to Nick's face and form, laying idly under the white cotton sheets.

 _Would he have done this for me?_ The next thought surprised Judy, but it made sense. This entire scene before her. The room, the gown, the machines….Nick had all done it by choice. A choice to blatantly and selflessly put himself in front of Layla to save her life. That act of bravery doesn't stem from just anything, and she refused to believe that Nick thought of Layla as 'just a friend'. The way they had embraced, spoken to each other, laughed with each other. It was as obvious as the nose on her face, and Judy released an enormous sigh.

She heard someone walk through the door, and looked to see Clawhauser, still adorned in his police uniform, stood solemnly at the foot of the bed.

"Hey, Hopps. Just thought I'd swing by to see how he's doing." The rather robust cheetah explained, hanging his head slightly as he nudged his head towards the male fox. Judy gave a weary smile. She felt her stomach grumble and twist in knots, realizing she had not eaten since six that morning, and it was four o'clock now. Releasing her hold on Nick's paw, she stood up and stretched, starting towards the door. Clawhauser felt something was wrong, and grabbed her arm.

"Hopps, what's wrong? I haven't seen you this upset since the day that Nick called in sick." He asked, and Judy just shook her head. She knew that Clawhauser had a hunch about her feelings towards the red fox, and she decided that she had nothing to lose.

"Nick took a bullet for her, Clawhauser. How can I even begin to compete with someone that he'll do _that_ for?" Judy asked. The cheetah did not answer, but frowned. She sighed again.

"I'm getting kind of hungry….can you watch him until I get back?" She asked gently, and the cheetah nodded.

"Of course." He said. Judy nodded, leaving the room. She pushed the idea to the back of her mind again, and focused on what was at hand. Despite her personal thoughts and ideas about the relationship between Nick Wilde and Layla Michaels, she truly hoped that Layla was a match. It was the only hope they had in getting him back on his feet.

She made up her mind that Nick deserved to be happy and healthy…..even if it didn't involve her.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **Oh things are getting edgy! Stay tuned everyone!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	10. Chapter 10

Warm sunlight poured into the room like a golden syrup and cast a glow on anything and everything. It created squares of light of the sterile tile floor, and reflecting onto the ceiling. The windows had been opened ever so slightly, letting the fresh air seep in with the sound of twittering birds accompanying it. A gust of wind blew in, slightly jostling the paperwork pinned to the patient corkboard and the coat hanging on the coat-rack in the corner. Everything was quite peaceful for a morning in Zootopia Hospital.

Lying on the bed within the room, Nick Wilde's eyes slowly pried open as he inhaled deeply. His vision coming into focus, he realized he was in a hospital room. The beep of the heart monitor made him look to his right, and he blinked several times. He started to wonder what had transpired as of late until it was answered abruptly. A sharp pain jolted through his chest as he tried to sit up, and he winced. Everything came flooding back to his memory, and he went to go scratch his head. However, he could not move his left hand with something warm and soft weighing it down. He looked down to observe his partner holding it firmly, her face buried in the crook of her other arm face-down in the blanket. Her chest rose and fell softly. Asleep.

Taking another look around the room Nick realized that Layla was also asleep in the chair opposite of the bed, a white bandage wrapped around the joint of her right arm. Sitting on the floor next to the chair was Will, who had his head propped up against the arm of the chair. Olivia and Allie sat on the floor underneath the window, comatose as well with Allie slightly snoring.

Nick looked to Judy again, giving her paw a light squeeze. The bunny inhaled sharply, stirring as she lifted her head and blinked her eyes open. Her violet eyes wandered to Nick as he watched her light up in excitement.

"Hey there, Carrots. What did I miss?" He mumbled low in his throat. Judy squealed, throwing her arms around him.

"Oh you're okay! You're okay!" She gushed. Nick smiled warmly, stroking her back.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He replied. Judy looked at him morosely.

"I thought I'd lost you….." She mumbled. Nick opened his muzzle to reply, but was stopped by another voice.

" _Nick!"_

Judy's excitement had woken the rest of the mammals up and before Nick knew it, Layla was up and out of her chair and throwing herself around him too. He chuckled, surprised at the amount of attention he was suddenly getting.

"Whoa whoa whoa, you two. You guys act like I was going somewhere or something." He said sarcastically. They both froze, and Judy stared at him intently.

"Well….you were…..or was going to if somebody didn't think fast." She explained, looking to Layla. Nick's eyes widened as his gaze shifted to the vixen, and he suddenly realized what the bandage around her arm was for. Layla glanced at the ground bashfully, rubbing her good arm.

"I guess I was a match." She mumbled with a small smile. Nick also smiled, reaching over to rest a paw on her shoulder. Emerald clashed with emerald as he looked on her with the utmost gratitude and appreciation. He had a moment of self-reflection, realizing that the blood coursing through his veins had once been in Layla, and it amazed him how selflessly the vixen had chosen to give it to him.

"Thanks, Foxy." He said softly, and Layla's smile widened. Across the room, Will watched this exchange with a slightly heavy heart, though it swelled with pride nonetheless for his vixen friend.

Before anyone else could say another word, there came a sound of feet towards the room. Everyone reeled to look at Dr. Halcolm, whose face lit up at the sight of Nick awake as well.

"Good to see you're awake this morning, Mr. Wilde. After the surgery last night, I thought you would be asleep all day." He stated.

"Last night?" Nick repeated in amazement.

"Well into early morning, yes. That bullet was especially tricky to remove, and your friends here were fighting consciousness by the time we wheeled you out." He said, and extended his paw to introduce himself. "Dr. Halcolm."

Nick took his paw with his good paw and arm, shaking firmly. The doctor beamed brightly, and Nick found it quite unsettling in a way until he spoke.

"So I trust you feel better?" He asked. Nick nodded.

"Much better."

"Well whatever room you have left for good feelings, I'm pretty sure I'll have that covered here in a few moments." The doctor stated. Everyone stared at him in confusion, and Nick's eyebrow arched in curiosity.

"How so, Doctor?" Judy replied. Dr. Halcolm took in a breath, opening up his clipboard.

"You see, we had to test the blood of Miss Michaels to make sure she was a match for you." He stated. Layla nodded slowly.

"We know." She replied. The middle aged leopard smiled.

"But something I do believe you _don't_ know is upon further examination, we found Miss Michaels and Mr. Wilde's blood to not only be of the same blood type, but also the genetic makeup of the cells to be exactly the same."

Confusion hung heavy in the air as the words started to process in their minds, and Nick's eyes widened in shock.

"….. _What?_ " Layla whispered in equal amazement, and the two red foxes looked to one another in a new light. They studied each other carefully, Nick's paw still slightly on Layla's. Nick simply couldn't believe it.

"How is this possible?" Judy beat Nick to it. The doctor produced a small piece of paper.

"Upon digging into Mister Wilde's medical files, we found a copy of his birth certificate. Along with it was another, printed just four minutes after his, bearing the name of his twin sister." He stated, and Judy snatched them up, laying them down on the bed for all three of them to see.

 _CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH_

 _ **Name:**_ _NICHOLAS PRESTON WILDE_

 _ **Sex:**_ _Male_

 _ **Species:**_ _Vulpes-vulpes [Red fox]_

 _ **Born:**_ _9 AUGUST 1979_ _ **at**_ _1:25 AM_

 _ **Length :**_ _9.3 in._ _ **Weight:**_ _1 lbs. 6 oz._

 _ **Mother:**_ _Jane Marie Wilde_ _ **Birthdate:**_ _July 26, 1955_

 _ **Species:**_ _Vulpes-vulpes [Red fox]_

 _ **Father:**_ _Frederick James Wilde_ _ **Birthdate:**_ _January 12, 1954_

 _ **Species**_ _: Vulpes-vulpes [Red fox]_

Nick had seen his birth certificate countless times, but looked to the other sheet of paper.

 _CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH_

 _ **Name:**_ _LUCILLE DAPHNE WILDE_

 _ **Sex:**_ _Female_

 _ **Species:**_ _Vulpes-vulpes [Red fox]_

 _ **Born:**_ _9 AUGUST 1979_ _ **at**_ _1:27 AM_

 _ **Length:**_ _8.5 in._ _ **Weight:**_ _1 lbs. 1 oz._

 _ **Mother:**_ _Jane Marie Wilde_ _ **Birthdate:**_ _July 26, 1955_

 _ **Species:**_ _Vulpes-vulpes [Red fox]_

 _ **Father:**_ _Frederick James Wilde_ _ **Birthdate:**_ _January 12, 1954_

 _ **Species:**_ _Vulpes-vulpes [Red fox]_

They all stared at the paperwork with dumbfounded amazement, and Nick turned to Layla.

"But how is this possible? I lost my sister when I was little…." Nick said, and Layla stared back at him in just as much bafflement as he had. "Not to mention that you would have remembered me…"

Judy's eyebrows were knotted in thought, then her face lit up as she remembered a small little detail that had been expressed yesterday.

"Layla, you said that you had been in the hospital for a while when you were little right?" She asked, her tone edging on excitement. Layla nodded.

"Yes, but that was for the measles. I have a scar to prove it….see?" She reminded her, tilting her head down and lightly touching it. Dr. Halcolm cleared his throat.

"To be quite honest with you Miss Michaels, doctors do not take tissue samples for measles. Especially in matters of the head. More likely you had some sort of surgery to seal up a gash or a cut." He stated. Layla shook her head.

"But that's what my parents told me for all those years…." She trailed off, and Nick placed a paw on her head, looking at the scar. He suddenly imagined little Lucy floating down the river, coming across a log or a rock…..he nodded.

"I bet that you hit your head in the river and forgot everything beforehand." Nick stated, almost certain. Judy jumped up.

"That's right! You said your first memory ever was waking up to your parents in the hospital right?" Judy babbled. Layla nodded, still skeptical of everything.

Nick studied Layla intently, wanting to soak in every detail about her all over again. The curve of her head and cheeks, her sleek, lighter-shade-of-red, fur...her crème underbelly…..those just-a-tone-lighter emerald eyes….in truth, she really was just a lighter colored version of himself, save a few curves that she had over him.

Layla gazed at Nick just as feverishly, trying to process everything that was being hurled at her. His face was one of amazement, and she mirrored it. How could she have possibly missed it? They resembled each other so astoundingly. She was surprised nobody had pointed it out before then.

Something clicked in the dark recesses of Layla's mind, and like a lost tape everything flooded back to her, her eyes widening.

Her giggles. Nick's smirk. Them running around the yard. Their parents picking them up in the supermarket. His playful shove in the park. Her scraped elbows. Him guiding her through the trees. The flower. The ledge. The cold, cold water plunging her under. Nick's screams of her name.

Lucy.

The name felt like coming home to an old friend after so many years, and it felt so right to her. More right than Layla had ever been, and she looked to Nick again, this time with loving amazement.

"Nicky?" She mumbled, tears beginning to brim in the corners of her eyes. At the sound of his childhood nickname his heart soared, and that feeling Nick had when he had looked at her over the past couple of days identified itself. Not romantic love…..but complete and utter brotherly love.

"Lu." He answered, snatching her up into a tight embrace. Lucy hugged back, the tears beginning to stream down her cheeks as she buried her muzzle into his good arm. The two affectionately embraced for several moments while Judy fought back tears herself. Will, Olivia, and Allie also looked absolutely smitten with the discovery, having said nothing the entire time to watch it play out.

Lucy took each breath gingerly, soaking in the feeling of her brother's arms around her. She had never felt more complete.

Just as nostalgic Nick couldn't express the joy behind finding his sister alive and well. After all of the years of pining over his mistake, he finally could resolve it. Pulling away finally, he looked her in the eye. The guilt he had had for years reared its ugly head, and he found himself embarrassed at what he had done to her.

"Lucy I…..I don't even know where to begin…." He trailed off, shaking his head ever so softly. Lucy shook hers as well, placing both paws on his.

"There's nothing to apologize for. It wasn't your fault." She whispered. Nick shook his head.

"Yes…yes it is, Lucy. If I had just been a better brother….we could have grown up as a family." He said. Lucy huffed through her nose.

"True….but don't ever think again that it was your fault." She reassured him. Nick reluctantly nodded. Lucy's gaze fell to the floor for a moment, then quickly went back up.

"Our parents! Where are….." She trailed off as soon as she saw Nick's solemn expression.

"Dad died when I-we were seven. It was a pretty violent car wreck….Mom didn't talk about it for weeks afterwards." Nick stated. This was news to both Lucy and Judy, who gazed at the male fox in pitiful despair.

"…..and Mom?" Lucy inquired. Nick sucked in a breath, releasing it laboriously through his lips.

"Your guess is as good as mine. When I dipped out of high school to become a con-man, she kicked me out. Made me pack my bags and told me if I was in such a hurry to grow up, I could find my own place." He said. "When I went to visit her a few months later to rub it in her face how well I was doing, she was gone. Not a single thing left in the house. I haven't seen or heard from her in almost fifteen years." Nick explained. "….I think she couldn't handle losing everyone she had ever loved…"

Lucy sighed, squeezing his paws. He looked to her, seeing that she had looked to the ground again with a fresh set of tears threatening to cascade down her face. Nick cupped a paw to her cheek, lifting her watery gaze to his.

"But that's okay. You have me now. And you can bet your fluffy tail I'm not going to let _anything_ happen to you." Nick reassured her with a firm squeeze of his other paw to hers, and Lucy smiled through her tears. The two hugged again briefly, then turned to the sound of Will's voice.

"So….your name is actually Lucy?" He asked, breaking the silence that Lucy's three friends had held the entire time. Lucy nodded.

"Yup. Lucille Daphne Wilde." She stated beautifully, loving the flow of it against her tongue.

"I like it. Way more than Layla." Olivia gushed excitedly, running over to give Lucy a hug. The vixen chuckled, embracing her best friend.

"Yeah, it fits you." Allie conferred. Will nodded. After a few moments of silence, he broke it again.

"So…..what now?" All of them looked around to see that the doctor had long since exited, and Judy sighed.

"I guess wait for them to release Nick." The group didn't mind in the slightest, especially Lucy and Nick, who had quite a bit of catching up to do. And Nick pounced on it.

"What, so I can go back to _working?_ Please, Carrots. You know me better than that." He said. Lucy giggled.

"Yeah, Judy. It's not like he ever gets anything done anyways, gunshot wound or not." She joked. Judy smiled and Nick sprung to his defense.

"Hold up there, Foxy. _Who_ gets nothing done?" He asked, his eyebrow highly arched. Lucy groaned.

"Must you keep _calling_ me that?" She chided. Nick clicked his tongue.

"I'm afraid it's grown on me entirely too much, sis. And besides, with almost twenty eight years of absence, I need to catch up on teasing you relentlessly." He stated. Lucy smirked at this.

"Indeed."

Just then, a cell phone started ringing. Judy looked down to see her parents' selfie plastered across the bright screen. As she was going to pick up, Will began talking again.

"Well I say we should celebrate all of this!" He said.

"Yeah! We should definitely put on a concert sometime soon!" Olivia babbled, throwing her arms up in excitement. Lucy just shook her head at her friends.

"…Yeah, Mom, we're still on for Saturday. Sorry for not answering your text yesterday." She said, looking to Nick. He had the most mischievous smile plastered across his face, and she mouthed her question to him. He gestured to Lucy, and nodded. Judy caught on immediately, beaming.

"And Mom, my partner Nick Wilde and his sister will be joining us…yes, Mom he has a sister…..a twin…yes…..yeah….okay…..bye." She clicked the phone off, giving a playful groan before leaning her elbow on the mattress of the hospital bed.

Lucy eyed the two of them, then stood up for the first time in fifteen minutes.

"Hey guys, I'm getting kinda hungry. Do you guys wanna go get some breakfast?" She inquired. Judy's posture straightened immediately, staring at the vixen. Lucy winked at her, and Will replied.

"I thought you'd never ask."

The four mammals started to leave the room, Lucy bringing up the tail end. Before disappearing completely, she popped her head back in.

"We'll bring something back for you guys." She said, giving a bright and slightly suggestive smile before vanishing. Judy shook her head. Turning to Nick, the two of them chuckled nervously, looking away for a moment. She eventually turned back to him.

"So! You have a twin sister after all!" She exclaimed, and Nick nodded.

"Yup." He replied. Judy looked down again.

"Boy, do I feel like such a jerk….." She mumbled, thinking about all the times she had assumed anything more than friends between the two red foxes. Her outburst in the police cruiser played back specifically in her mind, her words like nails in a coffin of her jerk-ish behavior. Nick's ears perked at the sound of that, and he smirked.

"Don't worry, Carrot Top. She wasn't my type anyways, even before I knew she was my sister." He said with a wink. Judy felt a blush creep up her neck, and her eyes glistened with shock.

"Sh-she wasn't? But the way you talked to her…..hugged her….." Judy said. Nick shook his head.

"Just a couple of consoling foxes who knew each other's frustrations." He concluded. Judy bit her lip nervously, locking eyes with her partner once more.

"Then….what _is_ your type?" She asked curiously. Nick chuckled before sucking in a breath, putting two fingers to his chin in mock thought.

"Oh my type runs along the lines of petite build, gray coat, very large ears, with police force as her profession. My type has a passion like no other mammal and a temper more fiery than my feelings for her. She's annoying, pushy, and oh so wonderful in her own way." He said, and noticing the heat start to rush to his rabbit companion's face, he continued.

"My type can make me weak at the knees and make me want to do backflips every time I see her, with so much positivity and sweet nature packed in that it's hard not to love her…oh and I'm a _sucker_ for violet eyes." He said, arching a brow with his signature half-lidded gaze plastered across his face along with a swoon-worthy smirk.

Judy felt as if her heart was going to burst from her chest. Her own amethyst orbs dilated immensely as she looked to the male fox at a loss for words. She chuckled nervously, rubbing her arm.

"Well um….it sure seems like I would be a good candidate for your u-um…..'type'." She stammered, her mind a literal scramble of emotions at what Nick Wilde had just told her. The fox smiled mischievously.

"Possibly. But I have one more criteria that just _has_ to be met." He stated slyly, leaning in ever so slightly. Judy's breath hitched as his warmth began to radiate from him onto her, and a wave of goosebumps attacked her skin.

"Wh-what's that?" She stammered again.

"My type is a wonderful kisser…." Nick mumbled low in his throat, and Judy's heart skipped a beat. As he leaned in closer and closer she could feel her tail twitch with anticipation as she prepared herself.

Just centimeters from meeting, Judy closed her eyes, awaiting the warm mass of Nick's lips against hers. Suddenly, she felt him stop. He smirked, opening his eyes. She did as well, confused.

"But I guess we'll have to wait a little longer for that one." He stated. Her eyebrows twisted in frustration but before she could punch him in the arm Lucy reappeared.

"Forgot my purse." She stated before looking at the predator and prey, taken aback.

"Oh my, was I interrupting something?" She said, arching a brow with a suggestive smile. Judy realized how close she was to Nick, and she shoved herself away.

"Nope! Not at all!" She exclaimed. Lucy giggled.

"Pity. Be back soon, you guys!" She exclaimed, and once she was out of sight Judy punched Nick in the arm.

"What was that about? Don't tease me like that!" She scolded. Nick only chuckled.

"Relax, Carrots. There will come a time." He said, and Judy just shook her head at her partner, not believing how quickly he had flipped the script and become as nonchalant as ever.

After everything that has transpired, she just let it go. It wasn't worth the trouble, and with the small promise that Nick had just made she knew it wasn't over, and she would hold him to that.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **Oh I just couldn't possibly keep the plot twist to myself so here! Have another chapter today! Thank you all for staying with me through the entirety of this story, and please stay tuned for the concluding chapter of Operation: Cadence! Thanks a bunch you guys!**

 **Excitedly thankful,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	11. Chapter 11

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

"No, no, we're at the _Willow_ brook Arena, not _Widow_ brook. Ugh, Mom!"

A small and muscular rabbit stood outside the one of many pairs of French doors to the largest arena in Zootopia, with mammals of all shapes and sizes flooding inside by the minute. A pre-show party was being held on the upper level, and the sound of thumping bass shook the walls. The rabbit continued to argue on the phone with her mother about directions. The press was starting to show, their cameras in paw as they entered the arena like everyone else. It was a semi-formal event, so the young mammal was dressed in a halter top in sheer purple, a slightly pleated and flattering white skirt along with it. Just then a red fox popped out from behind the closest French door.

"Psst Carrots! Ten minutes 'til showtime! Get in here!" He scolded. The rabbit shook her head.

"O-….Okay Mom. See you both when you get here. Bye." Hanging up, she gave a groan before running over to him.

"Geez, your mom's not very good with anything is she?" Nick inquired. Judy grabbed his arm, causing him to stop abruptly. She reached for his green bowtie, which was tilted and slightly off-center of his pristine, pressed white dress shirt. He wore a pair of khakis as well.

"Carrot farming and breeding…..that's about it." Judy replied flatly as she patted his now straightened bowtie, although the mention of breeding brought a slight heat to the fox's cheeks. Regardless, he chuckled.

"Isn't that _all_ that you rabbits are good for?" He joked, and Judy rolled her eyes.

"Very funny, Mr. Wilde. That was _so_ original."

"There's more where that came from, Carrot Top." Nick answered effortlessly, giving a wink. Judy just shook her head before a particularly bubbly ocelot popped in front of them, her champagne-colored dress shimmering with every move.

"Oh hey guys! Lucy was looking for you both! C'mon!" She said, grabbing one of each of their paws and pulling them through the eons of mammals scattered across the entire upper level. Finally coming to the end where a huge set of double doors were, Olivia shoved them aside with ease and led the two ZPD officers backstage, where a lot of backup dancers were getting ready. The tigers were massive compared to the two, but the large predators didn't so much as give them a sideways glance.

With some feverish calling around and advertising on Olivia's end and some high-up connections from Judy and Nick, the musical group had landed a spot as the opening band for Gazelle, a feat that even Nick was proud of when they had relayed the confirming news to the group.

Upon reaching the actual dressing room Olivia shoved that door open as well. The duo observed Allie and Lucy doing finishing touches on one another. As they approached, Lucy glanced their way then did a double take while beaming brightly.

"Hey I was wondering when you two would show up! What do you think?" She babbled, putting a hand on her hip and swaying about. The little number she wore sparkled like silver stardust in every light that it caught, the sweetheart neckline curving in a complimentary fashion at her chest. Cascading along her torso to her hips where they draped off at various lengths, it moved in such a light and flowing manner it seemed like it was not made of fabric at all. A small rhinestone headpiece was pinned to the base of her left ear, and around her neck was a diamond necklace that was just as flashy but elegant.

"You look absolutely beautiful." Nick stated gently, sincerity dripping from his tone. Lucy smiled warmly at him, and Judy nodded.

"Definitely your style." Judy said, feeling slightly underdressed compared to the pretty vixen. Lucy giggled.

"Gazelle wanted us to look our very best, and I hope we delivered." Lucy said, a slight edge of doubt in her tone. Judy scoffed.

"Please. I'm pretty sure you even put Gazelle to shame, Lucy." She said. Lucy flicked the compliment away with her wrist, and turned to the seat in front of a very large, illuminated mirror; like the ones you see in movie star's dressing rooms. Allie had since left to go do some last-minute warmups with Olivia, and in the distance Lucy could hear the crowds chattering loudly. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. Releasing it slowly, she could feel Judy and Nick still standing nearby, and spoke into the air.

"I don't know if I can do this….sure, I've been practicing for this my entire life but…what if they don't like me? Or us?" Lucy stated nervously. She felt two paws on either shoulder. Slowly opening her eyes she saw Nick standing behind her with his gaze looking to her through the mirror.

"Lu, if this crowd doesn't love you by the end of the night…I will have final confirmation of Zootopia being absolutely out of their _minds._ " He said, and Lucy giggled. Just then, Will appeared with his favorite guitar in paw and wearing a sharp pair of black dress pants, suspenders, and a silk blue bowtie. The timber wolf cleaned up very nicely.

"Hey Lucy. Five minutes." He said encouragingly, jerking his head in the direction of the stage door. Lucy gave one last anxious glance to the female rabbit and her twin brother, giving his paw a light squeeze before getting up to follow Will. She looked back again, giving a small thumbs up. Nick and Judy returned it, and once the two mammals disappeared behind the stage doors, the partners proceeded to their seats.

Gazelle not only had been generous enough to give Lucy and her band a shot at being the opening group, but had given them, their direct family, and the entire ZPD (who could come) floor seating in the front three rows. The popstar had reassured them that it was one final thank you for the Night Howler fiasco, and for uniting Zootopia once more at the time.

Upon reaching their seats they spotted Clawhauser, Chief Bogo, and Judy's parents already seated, and the rather robust cheetah looked their way.

"Hey, we thought you weren't going to show!" He shouted with cupped paws over his mouth, gesturing to the seats beside him. Judy giggled while Nick shook his head, scooting along the row of chairs before finally reaching their reserved seats.

"For a night like this? It's like you don't even know us, Clawhauser." Judy replied before waving at her parents who were on the other side of Bogo.

"Glad you found it!" Judy called to them, and her father nodded furiously while her mother laughed.

Up on stage, a couple of workers scurried feverishly around in final preparations for the performance, but none of the mammals were in sight. They finished up quickly, disappearing behind the black velvet curtains.

Emerging first was Allie, who quickly scampered across the immense stage to take her seat at the enormous piano. She looked around, then waved to Judy and Nick, who answered it. Next was Will, along with a couple of Gazelle's backup guitarists. He was leaning in and giving them last minute reminders on cues. A small group of choir members stood on risers next to them, standing perfectly still with books in hands. Last to emerge was Olivia and Lucy, with Lucy splitting off into the direction of the drum set next to the piano. Nick and Judy frowned, thinking that they'd be able to see her sing right off the bat. The vixen took a seat behind the massive drums, giving the rest of the group a thumbs up.

As 7:30 rolled, the choir began to sing, in a melody that indefinitely sounded exactly like Bohemian Rhapsody. The crowd's chatter died down almost immediately to hear their harmonious melody.

 _Is this the real life?_

 _Is this just fantasy?_

 _Caught in a landslide…_

 _No escape from reality…_

 _Open your eyes…._

 _Look up to the skies and seeee…_

Olivia was suddenly at the microphone, and grabbing it by the stand she inhaled quickly and cut in just in time.

 _I'm just a poor boy_

 _I need no sympathy_

The choir rejoined her as needed.

 _Because I'm easy come, easy go_

 _Little high, little low_

 _Anyway the wind blows_

 _Doesn't really matter to me….._

 _To me….._

Allie began to pound at the keys to the piano as the instruments began their slow descent into the song. Olivia glanced back, flashing the young otter a smile as she started to sing again in almost perfect falsetto.

As the song played onward, Will and Lucy cut in where they were needed, belting out perfect guitar riffs and drum sequences. The entire crowd remained somewhat silent the entire time, not having ever seen so many predators playing up on stage, some questioning what Gazelle had been thinking.

The song slowed to its end, and Allie accompanied Olivia into the closing lyrics.

 _Nothing really matters…_

 _Anyone can see…_

 _Nothing really matters…._

 _Nothing really matters.._

 _To meeee….._

All sound faded to a stop, and there was a moment of absolute silence. Then came the applause and whistles. Some even stood, clapping their hooves and paws together rapidly. Nick looked to Judy and Clawhauser leaned in to speak to them.

"Nice choice for an opening song. Are they a cover band?" He asked.

"Cover and original music." Nick said flawlessly. Lucy had taken it upon herself to teach her brother the music world's lingo.

There was a shift of movement from both behind and in front of them, and they realized that the stage hands were opening up the floor seats so that a wooden dancefloor was exposed. A tradition at Willowbrook Arena and Gazelle concerts, the first song was always played seated and then everything else was seating optional. Nick and Judy stood up, respectfully allowing them to move their seats to the wayside as options. Judy's parents walked over to them, beaming brightly at the two.

"Well, I didn't realize that Lucy's group could play so _well!_ " She said, slightly stunned. Just then, the second song began to play, and they all turned their attention back to the stage.

The group played everything from classic rock to pop to R&B in a total of five songs. The four members had moved to any and every position to accommodate each one. All of them were fluent in so many instruments and styles in such a way that it pleased the crowd. When their final song rolled, to Nick and Judy's excitement, they saw Lucy shift up to the microphone. The vixen rarely sang, being self-conscious and claiming she was better behind a guitar, sax, or drum.

"For our closing number tonight we bring you a song for all of you lovers out there." Lucy said into the mic, and Judy ear's perked at the sound of that. Lucy looked down for a split second to meet her gaze, and the rabbit could have sworn she saw her wink before the melody began to play. Lucy leaned against the mic, humming her first notes. The song sounded like Heartbeat.

 _I love it when we're at a party_

 _In a downtown crowd, oh-oh-oh-oh_

 _But I can hear you call me baby_

 _With the music up loud_

Lucy's slight twang to each word and her vocals made everyone reel in surprise, not expecting such a beautiful sound to be produced by a red fox. Usually it was prey mammals who had more alluring voice to them but the vixen was changing everyone's opinion with every note and word she sang.

 _Red wine, good times,_

 _No I don't mind bein' with everyone else_

 _And then there's nights like tonight that I_

 _I want you to myse-e-e-elf_

Judy felt a paw slip around hers, and before she could object Nick had her swinging about with him, an arm firmly supporting the small of her back as he led her around the dancefloor along with the other couples who had emerged. Her violet eyes widened in surprise.

"Nick I didn't know you could dance! And your arm….." She exclaimed, mentioning the wound in Nick's arm that was still wrapped underneath the white dress shirt. Nick smirked.

"You'll find that we Wildes are full of surprises." He replied without even acknowledging the comment about his wound, giving her a twirl. It was healing over nicely and it rarely gave him any sort of pain anymore.

 _And tonight I wanna drive so far_

 _We'll only find static on the radio, oh-oh-oh-oh_

 _And we can't see those city lights_

 _And I love the way you look in a firefly glow_

Lucy belted it out with no error at all, giving a glance to her group members every now and again, every one of them flashing a big smile at her. Will in particular gave her a bright grin. She began to close her eyes as she came to latter part of the chorus.

 _Sayin' everything without makin' a sound_

 _A cricket choir in the background_

 _Underneath the harvest moon_

 _Standin' on your shoes in my bare feet_

 _Dancin' to the rhythm of your heartbeat…._

As that last lyric of the chorus rang out, Judy realized she was indeed leaning against Nick's chest, the thump of his heart against the left side of her face and in her ear. Her eyes widened, and she looked up to Nick, whose face was frozen in an absolutely smitten trance as he gazed down at her. She gulped.

"What's wrong, Nick?" She mumbled. The male fox shook his head gently.

"Nothing." He replied softly. Judy glanced at the ground again, but lifted her eyes back up to him before too long. He was still gazing at her in an astounded stupor, and she was beginning to wonder if everyone else was seeing the way he looked at her. Arching a brow, she spoke again.

"So...are you just going to stare at me all night?" She asked.

"Thinking about it." Nick answered again in a dreamy tone, making a small heat rise to Judy's cheeks. When she did not reply, Nick smiled gently as he turned his rabbit partner about a few more times.

"Y'know Carrots, there was a very simple reason I didn't snog you in ZH." He said. Judy's ears pinned back in bashfulness, and she chuckled nervously.

"Heh…why's that?" She felt her back dip out, and she gave a small yelp before Nick hooked his good arm underneath the small of her back again, leaning over so his eyes were looking straight into hers. Emerald danced with amethyst as the two mammals stared at one another.

"Because I didn't want our first kiss to be in that dank hospital." He replied effortlessly, and her breath hitched. Pulling her back upright, Nick locked eyes one last time before cupping a paw to her cheek. Judy leaned in, and before she knew it their lips were pressed together in amazing form. Nick inhaled deeply in the kiss, pulling her in close with his other paw while one of hers rested on his chest.

 _Underneath the harvest moon_

 _Standing on your shoes in my bare feet_

 _And we're dancin' to the rhythm of your heartbeat…._

Lucy looked down to the dancing couples as the song ended. When she spotted Nick and Judy in a passionate kiss her heart soared. Her work was done. She watched the couple pull away from each other, not giving a care in the world to anyone else around them but each other, their eyes locked on one another.

"I love you, Nick Wilde." Judy whispered loud enough for the fox to hear. He smiled, rubbing her back and pulling her close again.

"I love you too, Judy Hopps." He replied indefinitely. Back on stage Lucy smiled, taking the microphone in hand.

"Thank you so much, Zootopia! We are the band Cadence, and without further ado, we bring you Gazelle!" Lucy said, gesturing to the door. The crowd roared in excitement, for both their finishing number and for the oncoming pop star. Sure enough the slender prey walked onstage in a strut, and the band quickly made moves to get out of the crowd's eye, scurrying backstage.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Oh. My. GOSH. We _killed_ it!" Olivia squealed excitedly backstage as the four mammals reveled in the moment of having just performed in front of over 10,000 mammals. (And that was not including all the lemmings in the box seats).

"I haven't felt this great in months!" Allie conferred. Olivia giggled, covering her muzzle with her paws to stifle another squeal. Will smiled feverishly.

"We definitely made an awesome comeback." He agreed. Lucy shrugged.

"I suppose we did alright." She mumbled with a small smile on her face, earning scoffs and a playful shove from Olivia.

"Well there is just no pleasing you is there, Lucy Wilde?" She retorted. Lucy just shook her head with a smirk still spread across her face, and behind the doorway appeared Nick and Judy along with Judy's parents.

"Hey! You guys did great!" Judy gushed, throwing her arms around the first mammal to come to her, which had been Allie. Nick hugged Olivia while Bonnie and Stu shaking paws with Will. Lucy watched all of this in a dazed joy until every mammal had turned to her. Lucy blinked rapidly, looking between everyone.

"What?" She asked. Judy stepped forward, her paws clasped in front of her for the moment.

"Especially you, Lucy. You just made a whole new name for red foxes." She said warmly. Lucy scoffed.

"Oh come on, that's taking it a bit too far."

"No it's true. On the way over here, I heard various mammals talking about how beautiful you sounded….how they never expected a red fox to sound like that…..that maybe there was more to them than anyone thought…." Nick defended Judy's statement, and Lucy's ears pinned back in a bashful stupor with her emerald eyes widened. She was decent, but she had never thought for a second it would have such an impact.

Before she could pass it off again Nick enveloped her in another embrace, which she gladly accepted.

"Yup. She sure has ways of breaking any and every barrier." Will conferred as if he was forcefully admitting it. Lucy glanced at him, seeing his face and shoulders slack. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but before she could Bonnie and Stu had walked over to shake her paws.

"Definitely worth coming all the way out from Bunnyburrow to see you. You rocked it." Stu said, and Lucy respectfully nodded and smiled to the rabbit couple. After that they said they said their goodbyes to everyone and left.

"You guys are missing out on Gazelle!" Allie exclaimed, gesturing back to the stage where they saw the revered prey dancing along to her third hit on the charts, her masculine tigers circled about her like they always were.

"Trust me. This won't be the last time we get to see her." Judy said. Lucy looked to the fox and rabbit, a sly smirk spreading across her muzzle.

"It seems that red fox stereotypes were not the only barriers we were breaking through tonight." She said. Judy's face flushed, and Nick chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his neck.

"You saw that, huh?" He remarked.

" _I_ saw it and I was on the drumset in the back!" Olivia cut in excitedly.

"Well, let's just hope Chief Bogo didn't catch eyes for it…that's the last thing we need at the ZPD floating around on the gossip table." Judy stated. Lucy shook her head.

"I wouldn't worry about that. If that calloused buffalo has a shred of heart to him, he'll see you guys just as we see you. A loving couple. And that goes for the rest of Zootopia and beyond for that matter." Lucy said matter-of-factly. At the mention of the word couple, Judy and Nick both blushed again, not realizing that this was going to turn into a conversation about their love lives. Olivia and Allie both nodded in agreement.

"You guys are really cute together." Allie stated with a small smile. Judy smiled back while feeling a paw slip onto the small of her back again. She shivered slightly at Nick's touch, but wasted no time in welcoming it fondly by leaning her head against his chest. After a few moments, Nick gasped.

"Wow, I do believe _that_ is the first time I've heard someone call you cute and you didn't jump down their throat about it!" Nick exclaimed in mock surprise, and Judy punched him square in the side, making him give a small groan. Lucy giggled as she turned about to notice that Will was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Will?" She asked.

"I think he was walking over to the dressing rooms. He looked like he wanted to take a breather." Olivia replied. Lucy looked back in the direction of the dressing rooms before locking gazes with everyone again.

"Should we talk to him? He seems kind of down." She stated. Olivia smiled deviously, giving a look towards Allie. Judy giggled.

" _I_ think that that 'we' should become an 'I'." She said, gently grabbing the vixen's shoulders and turning her about. Lucy could feel a blush threatening to attack her face.

"I-..Liv, I think I'm the last one he wants to talk to alone." She argued.

"Quite the contrary, my dearest fox." Olivia replied flawlessly before giving her a nudge. "Hop to it."

Lucy looked back to her two female friends, who just shooed her along. Nick gave her a wink.

"Good luck, Foxy. Don't play _too_ rough." He remarked. Lucy growled playfully at her brother, but didn't have a chance to retaliate as the newfound couple quickly followed Olivia and Allie in the opposite direction. Lucy just shook her head before turning her gaze back towards the dressing rooms.

Slowly and cautiously moving back, she approached the last doorway on the left. The sign, a chalkboard bolted to the oak door, had _Will Dawson, Guitarist_ etched in sloppily, which was obviously of the male timber wolf's doing. Lucy gently knocked, and when no answer was given she cautiously turned the doorknob. To her surprise it was unlocked.

The hinges creaking ever so slightly as she wedged it open to step inside, she peeked her head in.

"Will?" She said softly, looking about the neat and orderly room. There was no sign of the young timber wolf, and she spotted movement to the right. Looking to it she realized that the French doors leading out to the balcony were wide open, the thin white curtains softly flapping in the wind. Taking each step gingerly Lucy walked over, watching as Will slowly came into view, starting with the tip of his tail and melding into a form until she was looking at him full-on from behind. He was staring intently into the outside world with his ears perked straight forward, leaning his elbows against the railing. Lucy looked to the floor bashfully, starting to feel stupid for coming in.

"I thought you were leaving with everyone else."

Lucy eyes immediately lifted back up, staring at the back of Will's head as his voice made her heart skip a beat. She glanced at the ground again before advancing forward slowly. As she approached the railing and rested her paws on the cool twisted metal, the wolf turned to look down at her, his face solemn and thoughtful. Lucy ears drooped slightly at how intense his gaze was.

"I wasn't about to leave without you. You should be celebrating with us." She replied, and the male wolf scoffed.

"Wouldn't be the first time I was left behind." He remarked bitterly. Lucy furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Why are you _acting_ like this?" She inquired, deeply concerned. Will never acted angry, so when he did something significant was going on. He threw his paws up.

"Because Lucy….it's nights like these that remind me why I joined this group….. _and_ decided to stay." He said, adding on the last part in a much softer tone. Lucy still wasn't catching on.

"It was a good performance, I'll give you that. But you thought about leaving at one point?" She asked, surprised at this discovery. Will sighed.

"For a little while, yes." He answered. Lucy gently shook her head.

"Why? I-I mean I know we're a little rusty on some riffs and Allie seriously needs to tune the bass drum again-" She was cut off.

"It was never about the music, Lu. It was never about the sound, we always have had that down pat." Will snapped. "It was _never_ about _anything_ of that nature…..at least for a few years now it hasn't…."

Lucy stared at the young wolf in confusion, not knowing what to say at this point. However, after several moments, her mouth must have known because before she could stop them they tumbled out.

"I'm sorry, okay?" She said abruptly. This made the timber wolf jump slightly, his ears completely perked at this point in her direction.

"For what?" He asked.

"For what I said…..two months ago…." Lucy said, her voice shaky and weak. It sounded like she was on the verge of tears, but none looked like it was forming. To her horror the timber wolf's face twisted into one of absolute confusion and amazement.

"You're _still_ on that?" He remarked. Lucy's heart sank. "I haven't thought about _that_ since two nights after it happened. My mind's been on…..other things." He said, his gaze looking down to the street below. Lucy frowned.

"Yeah, I bet you have been." She replied. After a few long moments, she spoke again. "How's Auna?"

This made Will look at her in baffled amazement again, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Um…good? Going on her second year with her boyfriend. Started tech school this fall too." He stated. Lucy froze.

"Boyfriend?" She repeated. Will laughed flatly.

"Uh yeah! What'd you think that _I_ was seeing her?" He replied, placing a paw to his chest accusingly.

"Well….yeah….that's why we fought that night…" Lucy mumbled, feeling smaller right now than she had ever been standing next to the timber wolf. At this Will laughed again, this time with a little more emotion behind it.

"I tell you what Lucy, there's a lot of things you excel at, but realizing the obvious is not one of them." He said before standing up straight, moving slightly to the left to look down to the entrance of one of the many bars along Arena Avenue. It was getting late, and the amount of mammals standing outside the doors to the place was growing at a steady pace.

Lucy pondered on what he had said, and decided to take a jab at him as well.

"Well regardless. I'm sure you've had your share of flings since we've split." She remarked. This made Will turn completely around to look at her again, this time his gaze sympathetic. He shrugged, shoving his paws into the pockets of his faded jeans.

"You're right, there's been a few. Mostly just flirts with nothing better to do than gawk at guys they think will get them everything they want. Some of them seemed pretty nice though…..and definitely could have made decent companions." He replied. Lucy was surprised he was being so open. The wolf looked to the ground, sauntering over to the vixen slowly. At just a little over a foot away he stopped again, continuing to look at the ground as if in search of an impossible item.

"But all of them have this same issue, this _one little_ thing about them that is a total deal-breaker with me." He said, putting out two fingers almost squished together to emphasize his point before tucking it back in his pocket. Lucy's ears perked.

"And what could that _possibly_ be, Will?" She asked with a smirk, finding it hard to believe that the laid-back canis lupes would ever purposely find something wrong with someone. It just wasn't his nature. Lucy had known that from jump when she had first met him, that wonderful summer of her second year out of high school. The timber wolf's cobalt gaze locked with her emerald one, and she saw the shift in emotion behind his eyes. This one, however, made her heart start to pound.

"….They weren't you." His voice was soft, loving, and gentle. Lucy's smirk fell from her face, her ears dropping indefinitely behind her head as a wave of heat rushed to her neck and cheeks. She gazed at Will in a stupor, playing those words over and over in her head as she realized what they meant.

"M-Me?" She finally stuttered. Will stepped even closer to her, and she felt his huge paw cup around the entire left side of her face.

"Yes you, Lucy Wilde." He repeated. Lucy was at a loss for words.

"I thought….after the way I acted…you'd want nothing to do with me…" She explained, her gaze looking to the ground again. She saw out of her peripheral vision Will start to kneel on the ground to get more on the vixen's level, since there was just over two feet of space between his head and hers. Still cupping her face, Will chuckled softly as they locked eyes again.

"Well, I'm afraid that's where you are wrong, Miss Wilde." He replied. Lucy's heart soared like an eagle in her chest at the fateful words that he had spoken that day he had followed her in the snow, the words that had led her to undeniable truth of how she felt about Will Dawson.

She didn't say another word as Will leaned down, his muzzle finally coming in contact with hers in the most tender kiss. She practically melted into him, kissing back lovingly. The two held like that for a long moment before finally breaking apart for air. Lucy rested her paws on Will's chest, absolutely smitten all over again with the handsome grey wolf.

" _That_ was well worth the wait." Lucy declared. Will chuckled, stroking her cheek lightly with his thumb.

"Yes it was." He said. Lucy brought one of her paws to his, now gazing at him in feverish determination to say what she had meant to say all those weeks ago.

"I love you." The words were firm but certain, with a hint of adoration buried inside. Will smiled.

"I love you too." He replied before pulling her into a tight hug. The two predators embraced lovingly until they heard a voice from below.

"It's about _FREAKING_ time, you two!" Olivia yelled with her paws cupped around her muzzle. The two looked to see the ocelot standing below along with Allie, Nick, and Judy, who all smiled up at them. Lucy shook her head while Will chuckled.

"Friends. What can you do with them?" Will said while giving a shrug. Lucy smiled. Will stood up, extending a paw.

"Shall we join them?" He asked. Lucy beamed again.

"We shall."

Hooking her paw into the crook of his arm, the two exited the dressing room to reunite with the lot of them downstairs on the street. All the while the two predators and the predator and prey indefinitely were starting a new chapter of their lives. Not as just friends anymore, but lovers. Ready to take on anything the shining city and its mammals had to throw at them.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **And so concludes my fanfic Operation: Cadence. I deeply hope with all of my heart that you enjoyed this story. Please leave your final thoughts in a review for me, I would love to hear them! I hope the flow of the story was just right for you! Not too slow or fast. With that being said I want to thank the many authors who have stuck to the story the entire time. You're all awesome!**

 **Thank you all so much and keep your eyes peeled! There may be a sequel to this coming soon! ;)**

 **With the most joyful thanks and appreciation,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


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